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 he