Prime
Protect children against abuse
A police officer shows wounds inflicted on a child by her mother. File Photo
What you need to know:
- The issue: Child abuse
- Our view: We call upon the government to sensitise the public that it is the duty of every adult to look after children and protect their rights.
Parents have an obligation to protect, nurture, and adequately educate their children.
However, many parents neglect their duties, leading to children suffering and in some instances dying.
A case in point is the tragic death of a five-year-old girl in Nakimboledde Village, Njeru Municipal Council in Buikwe District on December 27.
Trinity Higenyi died in a house fire and her two siblings sustained injuries when their mother left them alone at home and went to a night club on Boxing Day. The fire was caused by a candle that had been left unattended.
Several similar cases have been reported over the years, especially during the festive season.
According to the 2018 annual police crime report, a total of 8,961 children were neglected compared to 12,152 in 2017. This is a significant reduction but more still has to be done to rid the country of this vice.
A report released in 2019 by African Network for Prevention Against Child Abuse and Neglect states that parents, teachers, who are expected to be custodians of children and their rights, are at the forefront of child abuse.
The different forms of abuse include sexual abuse, physical abuse, child sacrifice, child trafficking, emotional abuse, and child labour. Some teachers prey on young girls who they are entrusted with protecting from defilers.
In some cases police officers take bribes from people who have defiled girls and set them scot-free.
There are instances where parents accept monetary compensation from their daughters’ defilers and they pervert the cause of justice.
Teachers still continue to administer corporal punishment on students in flagrant disregard to the government ban on it. Some parents severely beat their children in the name of disciplining them, even for minor transgressions. Members of the community, who should report cases of parents abusing their children, do not do so in most cases with the excuse that it is a family affair that does not concern them.
We call upon the government to sensitise the public that it is the duty of every adult to look after children and protect their rights. Government should also increase the funds allocated to the agencies charged with safeguarding the rights of children to enable them adequately execute their duties.
Locking a minor up at home to go and make merry, irrespective of the time of the year, is not only gross negligence but also criminal and parents who do so should face the full force of the law.
Children are the future of our nation and it is incumbent upon every parent to ensure that they are well fed, clothed, educated, treated when sick and protected from abuse to enable them realise their potential and contribute towards development of the country.
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