14 Sep 2022

The increase in the number of sexual violence cases against children is a cause for concern in the North East District.

Speaking at the launch of E Seng Mo Ngwaneng campaign in Masunga on September 13, Principal Welfare Officer, Mr Michael Israel lamented the alarming increase in cases of sexual violence in the district, saying the situation required immediate intervention. 

He said the district had recorded 26 rape cases, 63 cases of defilement and three of incest.

He also expressed concern about the emergence of sodomy cases in the district, saying though they registered only one, it was probable that there were several unreported ones. 

Mr Israel explained that Tshesebe was leading in the number of reported cases, followed by Makaleng, Masunga, Matshelagabedi and Tati Siding.

He explained that cases of child negligence were also on the rise in the district, with four cases having been reported so far.

Mr Israel further told the gathering about the challenge of orphans’ food baskets, which never reach the intended beneficiaries, something which he said affected their education because they go to school hungry.

“This calls for neighbourhood watch because this is serious given the fact that government is using a lot of money to take care of these children,” he added.

Mr Israel called for support for the E Seng Mo Ngwaneng programme, which is spearheaded by First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi.

Another speaker, Ms Gaolatlhe Ngayaya of the Botswana Police Service’s Gender and Child Protection unit, said they had opened a child-friendly centre in Francistown, which she appealed to residents of the North East District to utilise. Ms Ngayaya said cases of child abuse remained a concern, despite numerous attempts to address such and called on Batswana to stop the scourge.

She explained that the centre was run by professionals, amongst them, investigators, social workers and was headed by a senior police officer. She however said the police could not fight such crimes alone, but needed the help of the community.

Ms Ngayaya also registered a worry about the growing number of cases of sexual abuse from church denominations. 

For their part, most of the residents, amongst them traditional leaders, promised to give the campaign the necessary support.

The campaign, which is a collaborative effort between Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), followed growing concern over increasing incidents of violence against children, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign seeks to promote reporting of violence against children and advocate for cases of violence against children to be expedited at all levels; to engage the public, to mobilise action on preventing and responding to violence against children; communities being sensitised to identify and reject social and moral norms linked to violence against children.

It also focuses on strengthening the capacity of frontline workers such as police and social workers to respond to any form of violence against children.

As part of the campaign, child-friendly police centres will be set up in selected districts in a phased manner, to encourage abused children and their families to report. Ends