Bring to book sex abuse perpetrators

Girl-child activists from the Centre for Domestic Violence Prevention, United Nations (UN) Women, Domestic Violence Act, and Plan International Uganda among others are demanding government to hold perpetrators of sexual abuse accountable for their actions.  They say and rightly so that punishing the perpetrators would be a lesson to other likely abusers. (See Daily Monitor February 3, “Activists demand action against men behind teenage pregnancies”)

It is a sad fact that among the perpetrators are fathers to the victims. In fact as indicated in our story, statistics from the Ministry of Gender indicate that 200 fathers who sexually abused their daughters are among the 1,682 total defilement cases reported in 2020 through the child helpline services.

And according to Mr Moses Ntenga, the Executive Director at Joy for Children Uganda, to ably deal with fathers who abuse their children, awareness must be created in communities to encourage people to raise an alarm once they suspect anything fishy happening in their societies.

Mr Ntenga makes a valid point in highlighting the need for sensitization and awareness. In many communities, sexual abuse is covered up and the culprits left to go Scot-free because they are close relatives or powerful members of society or because of fear of stigmatization by the community.

A very recent example is the pronouncement by some members of the clergy that pregnant and breastfeeding teenagers should not be re-admitted to school because they are a bad example to their peers and will promote immorality.

Such sentiments and beliefs are what lead to sexual crimes especially against children and teenagers to go unpunished.

So yes, the offenders must be punished according to the law and in a timely manner   but this will only start with a shift in mindset first by societal leaders such as the clergy and then trickle down to the grassroots of society.

Since the aftermath of the first Covid-19 induced school lockdown, the country has been overwhelmed by the staggering numbers of teenage pregnancies but what is not being asked enough is, who are the culprits and what has been done to see that justice prevails?

So just as the activists rightly point out, let us embark on ensuring the culprits are punished and that justice is served in a timely manner not burry our heads in the sand with grand pronouncements of high morality.

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