THE Government has resolved to remove vulnerable children from homes or sanctuaries where they face the risk of being abused by relatives, family members or neighbours as part of efforts to protect them from perpetrators.
The number of children, especially girls, who continue to be sexually abused across the country remains high and what is worrying is that among the culprits are parents and guardians.
Government says it is putting measures in place to arrest the scourge through surveillance and conscientising communities.
This follows the recent case of a nine-year-old girl from Tsholotsho who gave birth to a baby girl via a Caesarean section last month
During the same month, it was also reported that an eight-year-old girl from a farm in Bindura, Mashonaland Central province, was six months pregnant.
The Bindura girl was allegedly raped and impregnated by two teenage brothers.
In Bulawayo, statistics from a National Aids Council (Nac) quarterly report show that 52 orphaned and vulnerable (OVC) girls were sexually abused between July and September last year.
In 2020, a total of 257 sexual abuse cases were reported in Bulawayo and males only constituted eight percent of the reported cases. Sexual violence, which disturbs the development of children and can lead to lifelong consequences, is most prevalent in females than males.
In terms of the law, there are various types of sexual abuse ranging from indecent assault to rape.
Responding to questions, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister, Professor Paul Mavima said his Ministry has resolved to relocate the victims from their homes to safe havens and places of safety.
“As a ministry we have resolved that whenever a child feels insecure or is at risk of being sexually abused, she or he will be removed from that place and taken to a more secure place where she or he will be placed under alternative care as guided by the provision of the National Orphan Care Policy of 1999,” he said.
Minister Mavima said there are various alternative care options provided for in the policy which include foster care, adoption and residential child-care facility care.
“In all instances, the probation officer prepares and submits relevant reports with appropriate recommendations to the Children’s Court for determination,” he said.
Prof Mavima said his Ministry is already investigating cases of children at risk such as those neglected or abused.
“Probation work focuses on children in need of care as defined in Section 2 of the Children’s Act and this term generally refers to children who are vulnerable and at risk. Such children come to the attention of the department of social welfare through direct request or self-referral by the child or family,” he said.
Prof Mavima said referral can be by community members or structures, public or private service institutions, written or telephonic notifications by any individual or organisation and identification by a probation officer.
He said to ensure improved care and protection of the vulnerable children, the Ministry, in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) among other things, is strengthening coordination mechanisms and enhancing stakeholders’ engagement so as to build social cohesion.
“In line with the NDS1, Government aims to increase the number of people including children receiving care and protection within set standards from 15 percent to 75 percent. There has been a decreased proportion of the population that is subjected to all forms of abuse disaggregated by gender, age among others from 35 percent to 10 percent,” he said.
Prof Mavima said the proportion of victims of violence, including children, who reported their victimisation to responsible authorities increased from five percent to 30 percent.
He said Government is strengthening policy and legislative frameworks through the alignment of laws to the Constitution and scaling up the integrated case management system for the welfare and protection of children.
“We are also expanding child protection services, promoting adoption and foster care, payment of grants for children in care and expanding community workforce support,” said Prof Mavima.
He said the Ministry is also conducting registration and monitoring of private voluntary organisations and residential care institutions as well as intensifying identification, documentation, tracing and reunification of children living outside the family environment and those on the move.
Prof Mavima said it is also important to enhance access to education for all vulnerable children through BEAM.
“This also includes children who have never been to school or have dropped out of school due to poverty; children in child headed households and households headed by elderly people over 65 years and those with disabilities and unable to perform economically productive work,” he said.
Prof Mavima said there are also children from poor households enrolled in special needs education institutions and those neglected by parents including orphans in the care of relatives or guardians with limited capacity to cope with the increased burden of their education needs. – The Chronicle
