19 Dec 2022

Botswana in partnership with UNICEF as well as Japan have opened a sixth police station child-friendly centre in Ghanzi.

The centre, which would enable children to feel at ease to report any form of abuse,  is said to have been launched at an opportune time, particularly after 16 days of activism against gender based violence.

Officiating at the launch, UNICEF country representative, Dr Joan Matji said police records indicated an increase in sexual violence during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown which saw defilement cases soaring by 20 per cent.

“This situation was a direct result of children spending more time at home with potential abusers, who are often family members or known to the family. The low reporting of cases of child abuse with only one in nine girls reporting cases of rape to the police and only one in seven seeking medical attention is what brings us here today,” she stated.

Dr Matji said she was hopeful that child-friendly centres would successfully provide a safe haven for children in distress and help them to access justice.

She congratulated Botswana Police Service for showing a high-level of commitment to ending violence against children and on the delivery of quality child-friendly services to all children in contact with the law, whether as victims, witnesses or perpetrators of abuse.

The centre’s opening would play a catalytic role in facilitating the reporting of child abuse cases, she said.

Dr Matji hailed the tripartite partnership for raising the bar in ending violence against children through establishment of the centre.

She challenged all stakeholders to fight what she termed the child abuse pandemic.

Deputy police commissioner responsible for operations, Mr Solomon Mantswe paid tribute to UNICEF for its unwavering support in ensuring that children’s rights were upheld.

The organisation’s support,  alongside the Japanese embassy, extended to the promotion of a child-friendly justice system, he said.

Stating that the tenets of a child-friendly justice system required a multi-sectoral approach, Mr Mantswe called on all partners and stakeholders to collaborate and participate in the execution of the relevant action plan.

He pointed out that parents had a critical role in the action plan’s execution as their duty was to lead and guide children to ensure that they did not go astray.

Mr Mantswe said parents and guardians needed to fully acquaint themselves with all the international and national protocols, instruments and conventions that sought to promote the protection of children.

“These include the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children,” he said.

Mr Mantswe said the charter urged state parties to take specific legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect children from all forms of torture, inhumane or degrading treatment, especially physical, mental injury, abuse, neglect or maltreatment including sexual abuse.

He said it emphasised the establishment of special monitoring units to provide necessary support for children and those who cared  for them as well as  for prevention, identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of instances of child abuse and neglect.

Mr Mantswe said as Botswana fully subscribed to the charter,  it was obligatory for the country  to adhere to all rules and regulations.

He said child-friendly centres roll-out would ultimately help the country to realise the UN Sustainable Development Goal calling for the elimination of all forms of violence and harmful practices against children including trafficking and sexual exploitation. ENDs