The Officer-In-Charge for Dedza Police Station, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mwizamose Nyoni, has advised mothers not to hide defilement cases when suspects are their husbands, saying failure to report such cases could lead to continued sexual abuse of children.
Nyoni was speaking during a commemoration of Day of African child which was hosted by Dedza District Council through Social welfare at Chilanga primary school ground. It was celebrated under the theme ‘accelerating the implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children’.
Nyoni informed the gathering that the state imposes criminal liability on mothers who do not intervene to stop sexual abuse of their children.
Nyoni also advised mothers to avoid putting unnecessary questions to a child with a jittery mood that might hinder awful reality of finding out if a child has been sexually abused.
She asked traditional leaders to refer child abuse issues to police, saying that the criminal related cases are beyond their jurisdiction.
Nyoni further told the gathering that it is sad that despite effort of arresting perpetrators of sexual abuse, the district continues registering high numbers of defilement cases.
Concurring with Nyoni, Dedza District Social Welfare officer, Hellen Mafuleta Simwaka, appealed to members of the general public to assist the children by reporting child abuse issues to the appropriate authority.
Simwaka mentioned sexual, physical and child neglect as some forms of abuses children are facing in the district.
The day of African Child is commemorated every year in June to celebrate children in Africa.
