PROTESTERS have taken to the streets in the capital of Zambia over a “staggering” increase in cases of sexual violence against children.
The Council of Churches’ general secretary, the Suffragan Bishop of Lusaka, the Rt Revd Emmanuel Chikoya, took part in the demonstration last weekend.
Widely reported cases include those of a father raping his seven-year-old daughter when she was admitted to hospital for cancer treatment, and another father raping his daughter, aged six, giving her a sexually transmitted infection.
Bishop Chikoya told the demonstrators: “This is not just a social issue: it is a moral and spiritual crisis. We call on the nation to stand together in protecting the vulnerable and ensuring justice prevails.” The Church could also be part of the problem, he acknowledged.
Zambia News reported that he said: “The other issue, I agree, Church is part of the solution, but the Church is also part of the problem because of the instances of pastors that I would call poachers.
“So, we are also going to stand very strongly and so no to poachers on the pulpit, poachers in those confessional boxes.”
He also called for an end to the sale of “sexual boosters”, which, he said, were available like “sweets on the street”.
Six child-focused NGOs have condemned the rise in cases of child abuse. The Joining Forces Alliance, which includes Save the Children, World Vision Zambia, and Plan International, said that children were increasingly being targeted in homes, orphanages, and at school.
Zambia had a legal framework to protect children, but it was not being rigorously implemented, the NGOs said. The Alliance called on government institutions, law- enforcement agencies, civil society, and communities to strengthen reporting mechanisms, provide support services for survivors, and bring perpetrators to justice.
UNICEF said that the crimes demanded “immediate and uncompromising action”, and that the scale of the abuse was “staggering”. One in four girls and one in six boys are estimated to have experienced sexual violence by the age of 18 in Zambia, the UN said.
In a statement, it said: “The defilement and rape of innocent children, including those perpetrated by their own parents and caregivers, is not only a gross violation of human rights but a national crisis that threatens the very fabric of our society. We firmly believe that no child should endure the trauma of sexual abuse, exploitation, or violence, yet countless children continue to suffer in silence, and their lives irrevocably scarred by these atrocious acts.”
Caritas Zambia, an RC aid agency, has called for the creation of dedicated courts to fast-track child abuse cases, and harsher penalties for those convicted.
“We urgently call upon the government to immediately establish fast-track courts dedicated specifically to swiftly dealing with cases of child sexual abuse. These courts must operate without delay, providing justice and serving as a powerful deterrent against future abuses.
“Additionally, the enforcement of stringent penalties, including life imprisonment with hard labour for perpetrators, without the option of bail or bond, must become an immediate reality. Parents and caregivers who conceal such atrocities must also face severe consequences.”
Some protesters called for castration of children’s rapists.