Maravi

Wina urges stiff penalty for Kabwe child molester

Wina urges stiff penalty for Kabwe child molester
By Hope Chali and Roy Habaalu
Tue 13 Mar. 2012, 13:59 CAT

GENDER minister Inonge Wina says the Kabwe woman who sexually abused a five-year-old boy should face a stiff penalty for the offence. In an interview yesterday, Wina said it was inhuman for a person who is supposed to be a mother the boy to have abused him. She said the law applicable to perpetrators of rape and defilement of women and girls should apply to the Kabwe woman.

"It is unacceptable to have carnal knowledge of an innocent boy and ending up infecting the poor child with a disease as a way of cleansing herself from the infection, because she might have been doing it with a wilful knowledge of infecting that child with the disease that she is suffering from. She should face stiffer penalties just like those men who defile girls," Wina said.

Police in Kabwe last week arrested the 25-year-old woman for allegedly sexually abusing a the boy who was left in her care.

Medical examination revealed that the boy had contracted an infection.

Meanwhile, Women in Law in Southern Africa (WILSA) regional coordinator Matrine Chulu said awareness campaigns against rape and defilement were not enough.

She said it was good that people were now enlightened and were reporting such cases to relevant authorities.

She said the new ministry of gender should lead the way in researchinglasting solutions to the problems.

"The disappointing thing is the fact that there are a few cases in court. We only have 2,000 which go to court out of maybe 11,000 reported cases. And also the issue of withdrawal of cases is still high which is not good. We need more of sensitisation and awareness raising," she said.

Labels: CHILD ABUSE, INONGE WINA

posted by MrK @ 4:54 PM