The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
PARENTS who protect relatives that rape their children are criminals and deserve punishment, chiefs have said.
In an interview, Chief Bango of Mangwe District said there was a need for Government to put in place a penalty for such guardians as they were accomplices of the culprits.
He said a number of parents were hiding rape incidents committed on their children by relatives.
He said this was being done in a bid to protect family bonds while lives of children were being destroyed.
“A number of children are being raped within homesteads and all that guardians are doing is to warn children against reporting in a bid to protect monsters.
“They do not consider that they would be putting the child at risk of contracting HIV or falling pregnant while at a tender age. There is no worst way of destroying a child’s life than this one,” said Chief Bango.
He said it was sad to note that reports of rape cases on children were now being made by people outside the family unit.
He said these reports usually came late after damage had been done on the victims.
Chief Bango said guardians of children have to assume their role which is to protect children.
“It is sad that teachers, neighbours and child organisations are now concerned with the welfare of children more than the guardians. Parents remain quiet about rapes and months later or years later the matter is picked up by external people who then take up the matter,” said Chief Bango.
He said once it came to light that relatives were concealing a rape case the law had to hold them accountable just as the perpetrator.
Chief Masendu of Bulilima District said as traditional leaders they often summon such guardians to community courts but severe penalties were needed.
He urged relatives to desist from protecting criminals.
Recently, a Grade Zero pupil at Matshamhlophe Primary School was raped by her two cousins and her grandparents concealed the offence.
The matter came to light after the girl’s teacher realised that something was wrong with the child after being absent from school for a week.
Upon checking on her the teacher discovered that the child had some genital problems which her grandmother knew about.
The girl later revealed to her teacher that her brothers had sexually abused her on several occasions.
In another incident, a 28-year-old man from Bulilima allegedly raped his Grade 2 niece and the girl’s grandparents warned the juvenile against reporting.
The matter came to light months later after the police got a tip-off from a villager who heard about the matter.
The suspect, Thinkwell Ndlovu, appeared before Plumtree magistrate Mr Gideon Ruvetsa facing charges of raping his seven-year-old niece.
In another incident a nine-year-old girl at Tjedza Primary School revealed that she was raped by her 17-year-old cousin several months later after her aunt had warned her against reporting.
The girl, who is a Grade 3 pupil, revealed the matter during an awareness campaign at the school where they were urged to report sexual abuse.
