Moral and psychological filicide: examining the consequences and the rights of Nigerian children living with their mothers in brothels and prisons

Abstract

Children are like ‘Mary’s Lamb’.² Generally, they follow and can be found at the abode of their mother. Ordinarily, this celestially ordained filial relationship ought to be treated as scared and should not be severed on flimsy grounds. However, there are instances that would make it anathema to the welfare of a child for him or her to reside with the mother as it could negatively affect the whole of the personality of the child presently and in the future. Such instances include where a child lives with his or her mother in a prison yard, a brothel or any other place that is not conducive for the nurturing of a child. Such situations constitute child abuse³ and could also amount to filicide⁴ though in a moral and psychological sense. It is the examination of the consequences of such habitation and the rights of children in this situation that forms the theme of this paper.

Keywords: Filicide, Morality and Psychology, Rights of Nigerian Child, Brothels, Prisons