Ntoroko in campaign to end violence against children

Violation. Pupils in Arua District conduct a mock court to demonstrate alternatives for corporal punishment. Ntoroko leaders have devised means of reducing cases of violence against children. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Children rights violation has three common forms; physical, sexual and psychological.
    Children’s rights includes right to association with both parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for physical protection, food, universal state-paid education and health care.

Ntoroko. Ntoroko leaders have raised the red flag over the rising cases of violence against children in the district.

Leaders from Rwebisengo, Kanara and Karugutu sub-counties say the violence has greatly contributed to poor performance of students in the area.

The district child and family protection officer, Ms Julie Logose, revealed that last year police registered more cases of violation of children’s rights and domestic violence although several of them were not documented.

According to Ms Logose, in 2016, defilement cases were 50, child neglect 72 while domestic violence stood at 111.

Ms Logose told Daily Monitor in an interview early this week that last year they recorded 102 cases of domestic violence, 86 cases of child neglect, 28 cases of defilement, 30 cases of child offenders, 13 cases of missing children and 16 cases of child desertion.

“Children rights include basic needs but to my surprise I see some people here violating them. I strongly condemn that and I think if we collaborate with members of the community, we can put this to an end it,” she said.

She added: “Few cases of child marriage are reported to my office. The problem is that parents connive with perpetrators and get money from them but now we are trying to bring them on board.”

The district chairperson, Mr Timothy Kyamanywa, said children rights are violated because of culture of pastoral communities where parents do not value the importance of educating girls but see them as source of income and property such as cows.
“In our district, when a girl makes 14 years, parents think she is ready for marriage,” he said.

He revealed that the district council has drafted ordinances against violation of children’s rights but they are being challenged by their implementation.
“So far we have two ordinances but we have not implemented them because we are still waiting for the Attorney General to respond,” Mr Kyamanywa said.

Mr Edward Bwambale, the Kanara town clerk, said abuse of children rights is on the rise in the area because of quick money in providing cheap labour in fishing communities.
Mr Bwambale noted that many parents have left children to fend for themselves.

He revealed that as Kanara Town Council authorities, they are drafting a bylaw to deal with children rights abusers. He said they are planning to register and arrest all parents whose children are not in school.

“Here at the landing site you find young people who are below the age of 18 in the lake fishing during school days and that is why we want to come up with a bylaw to start arresting people who violate children’s rights,” Mr Bwambale said.

Mr James Ruhirwa, a parent from Kanara west village, told Daily Monitor that violation of children rights has been spurred by corruption as police officers are easily bribed.
“I want us to start a campaign to end such violations where every member watches over their neighbours,” Mr Ruhirwa suggested.

The officer-in-charge of Ntoroko Police Station, Mr Charles Opila, said police should not be blamed for fuelling children rights abuse because it is the responsibility of every parent to ensure the rights of their children are not violated.

The Kanara community development officer, Ms Yahaya Busingye, noted despite having bylaws violations such as child labour, early marriagse, torture, denying children education and child neglect have remained a big challenge.

“We have a bylaw on education, when we find a child not in school we arrest the parent and take them to court where they pay a fine of Shs30,000,” Ms Busingye said.

Reports
According to a 2016 baseline survey on violence against children in Ntoroko, Kasese and Bundibugyo by Forum for African Women Educationalist, 81 per cent of school children in the districts have had their rights violated.

The survey also indicates that 61 per cent of students are sexually abused in schools such as in toilets, classrooms, staffroom and teachers houses. And that 33 per cent male and 34 per cent females have had exposure to sexual violence in schools.

Ms Christine Tembe, a councillor for Kanara Town Council, said violation of children rights can be solved by enforcing the existing law and taking perpetrators to court.
Mr Richard Kyiramburi, a children rights activist, however, revealed that many parents remain silent on cases of defilement and early marriage.

The Ntoroko senior education officer, Ms Moreen Kusemererwa, said: “I visited one school and the head teacher told me that at the closure of third term last year the school had 700 students but only 600 have reported for the first term.”

Children rights
Children rights violation has three common forms; physical, sexual and psychological.
Children’s rights includes right to association with both parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for physical protection, food, universal state-paid education and health care.

Survey. According to a survey by the African Network for the Prevention and Protection of Children Against Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN)-Uganda in Nakawa Division, Kira Town Council and Municipality, more than 1,899 child neglect and 998 defilement cases were recorded and handled by police and probation and social welfare in 2013.