04 Feb 2020

 An increase in the number of sexual abuse cases involving children is cause for concern in Serowe and surrounding villages.

In an interview with BOPA, Serowe Police Station commander, Superintendent, Poloko Oteng said rape cases may not be new in the country, but their manner and frequency were worrisome.

He said there was no doubt that the phenomenon was strange in this part of the country, especially those cases involving defilement and rape.

He said they were investigating a case in which a 17-months-old baby girl was molested by a boy aged between 13 and 15 years at Metsimasweu ward in Serowe this week.

He said the baby was left with her grandmother while the mother was somewhere else in village, adding that upon arrival, the mother noticed something strange about the baby and reported the matter to the police.

She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed that she had been molested. 

The alleged molester was arrested and is to appear before Serowe Magistrate Court.  

Superintendent Oteng indicated that in light of this worrisome situation, there was need to strengthen the existing laws against rape and to ensure speedy prosecution of rape suspects.

He said victims were often unwilling to open up after incidents of rape for fear of stigma, hence they require the understanding and encouragement of members of the public to deal with the menace.

‘’All hands must be on deck to expose these criminal elements as they cause their victims untold pain and even life-long trauma,” he said.

There is also the risk of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis and unwanted pregnancies, he stressed.

Superintendent Oteng said rape and defilement statistics were alarming, revealing that so far this year, they had recorded 13 rape and nine defilement cases in Serowe and surrounding villages.

He stated that every week they receive similar cases, expressing a concern that some violence and rape cases were not reported on time if at all, meaning that the statistics might not be a true depiction of the reality on the ground.

He said that some bread winners abused their partners, knowing that they would not leave them for fear of being left without sources of survival.

He called for zero tolerance for rape and defilement in order to protect and educate the future generations of Batswana.

The police chief urged Batswana to fully participate in raising awareness on rape and defilement cases. ENDS