PLUG THE LOOPHOLES IN THE CHILDREN’S ACT

Published in the NEW VISION, Kampala, Monday, September 24, 2012. Pg 16.

 By Caroline Sanyu Nakalyango

In July, I wrote an article entitled: What is the plight of child mothers? In it, I expressed concern about the worrying number of girls getting pregnant in primary schools.

According to the Ugandan Annual Crime and Traffic/Road Safety Report 2011, a total of 7,690 cases of defilement were reported in 2011. However, only 3,836 suspects were arrested and taken to court. This implies that over 50% of defilement cases were dropped.

Parents negotiate with defilers of their children for bride price. It is absurd these parents value wealth and property more than their children’s health and lives.

Last week, a story about a 12-year -old mother was published. It is a pity that this girl was defiled by a 24 –year-old man who in turn gave the girl’s father a cow to silence the crime.

If this girl was not discovered by the community, she would either have lost her life while delivering or the baby’s since she is too young to have a normal birth. This is because her parents had decided to keep the child’s pregnancy a secret. The girl’s life was rescued by the community and indeed she is one in a million. Many of her kind have not been so lucky and have lost their lives just because their parents chose to negotiate with their tormentors.

A number of girls have been defiled and infected with HIV/AIDS and other STIs. This is because their parents decide to side with criminals. As a result most of the victims have damaged their uterus and this puts them at a risk of becoming barren for the rest of their lives.

Defilement is the biggest form of child sexual abuse and there is urgent need to exterminate this vice.

The Children’s Act Cap 59 states the rights of children but does not mention what has to be done for children that have been abused. These gaps have to be filled so as for the law to be more felt. This way our children will be less abused. Parents should not negotiate with defilers as they compromise their children’s health. The community should always report cases of child abuse to the authorities.