Rita Edochie opens up about her sexual assault at young age by family friend

Rita Edochie explains that she was sexually assaulted at a young age by a family friend and calls on parents to regularly communicate with their children.

The Nollywood actress, who was a special guest at a seminar to end violence against children on Wednesday in Abuja, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview that her pregnancy was about seven months before her mother noticed it.

''I was a victim of sexual abuse; that was when I was in primary six; I was going to the hospital and somebody called me. The boy used some diabolic means and sexually violated me; when I could not see my period, I refused to tell my mother, because she was very strict,'' she said.

Rita continued, ''My mother asked how it happened and I told her everything; my brother picked a knife and wanted to kill me, but my mother stopped him. It happened that the mother of the boy that violated me was my mother’s friend; the boy’s mother was surprised but the boy denied. My mother took me to hospital to abort the pregnancy with a plan of taking me to my grandmother’s place at Ogede to stay for one week before returning home. I told her I may lose my life in the process; and because she loved me, she then aborted the planned abortion; I feel it was God that spoke through me. My mother took care of the baby while I went to school; if not for my mother I would not be where I am today''.

''I love sharing my experience because at the end of the day I succeeded; If I had not succeed, I would not have been able to share it, '' she added.