Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015
The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act) criminalizes various forms of violence against persons, with particular emphasis on gender-based violence. Enacted in 2015, it replaces previous piecemeal legislation and provides a comprehensive framework for addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, harmful widowhood practices, and other forms of violence. The Act also provides for protection orders and establishes minimum penalties for various offences.
Legal area: Law relating to offences against the state and public order, including substantive criminal offences and criminal procedure.
Year enacted: 2015
Full text: https://lawsofnigeria.placng.org/laws/violence-against-persons-prohibition-act.html
Key Provisions
- Section 4: Prohibition of female genital mutilation
- Section 6: Prohibition of forced marriage
- Section 8: Prohibition of domestic violence including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse
- Section 12: Sexual offences including rape and sexual assault
- Section 14: Prohibition of harmful widowhood practices
- Sections 36-40: Protection orders and interim protection orders
Significance
The VAPP Act was a landmark in Nigerian gender-based violence legislation. It established a uniform federal standard for addressing domestic and gender-based violence, replacing the earlier Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law of Lagos State which had been the first such state legislation. The Act introduced mandatory minimum sentences for sexual offences and created a framework for protection orders.