Women reporters organize speak out on sexual violence against girls (Zambia)

Kudos to the Zambia Media Women Association for taking this on. It is outrageous that these rapists--many of whom are the girls' fathers--walk around in free society, while the victims are placed in "children's homes" where they are little more than prisoners.

http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=22868

Female scribes convene to tackle child sexual abuse
By Edwin Mbulo
Fri 02 Sep. 2011, 11:59 CAT

JANE and Eve not real names are victims of defilement. Jane, 9 was defiled by her father while ten-year-old Eve was defiled by her mother's friend.

Here is Jane's account.

"We used to stay in Burton and shared one room with our parents. My father, a taxi driver, and my mother had a their own bed while I shared the other with my five brothers and sisters. One night last year while I was asleep, my father picked me up and put me on the bed he shared with mum and undressed me by moving my pants to my knees. And he put his manhood in my private parts," says Jane.

Her mother who was asleep woke up and asked her husband about what he was doing. The father just held Jane's mouth to prevent her from screaming and asked the wife to remain silent.

"In the morning when he had gone for work my mother asked me what he had done and I told her. That is when she took me to the hospital," Jane recalls. "After some time my father drove to the hospital to see us. That was when he was arrested by police."

Jane says she never wants to see her father again. She is currently being kept at a children's home in Livingstone. Jane says she only misses the friends she used to play with in her neighbourhood.

Eve of Livingstone's Ngwenya township was defiled on three occasions by her mother's friend who used to assist her with charcoal.

"I could not tell my mother what had happened on one night when she left me alone in the house when he came and had sexual intercourse with me. He did the same on two different occasions before my mother noticed that I was limping. When she asked me, I told her what had happened. That is when he was called and he agreed that he was having sex with me," Eve says.

A meeting was convened with the defiler's relatives who offered to be paying K100,000 per month as compensation, but the news leaked and he was finally arrested.

Both perpetrators in Jane and Eve's cases are currently appearing in court.

These are sad tales which journalists were told by the victims at a recent workshop on sexual violence against girls organised by the Zambia Media Women Association (ZAMWA) in Livingstone.

Lushomo Danny's Home in Livingstone's Libuyu township is a haven for abused children and currently has 19 girls.

Home administrator, Victoria Mwansabamba, said the justice system was tormenting the children, as they felt imprisoned at the transit home while the perpetrators were out on police bond.

"The biggest challenge we are facing at Lushomo is the delay in the justice system as the girls feel imprisoned as they are not free to walk the streets. We also fear that the offenders may harm them if they come in contact with them, but the cases are being adjourned now and then," Mwansabamba said.

Lushomo coordinator Sr Brigita Sanding said the children were afraid to come face to face with the perpetrators as the law required.

"We are counselling the girls and a few of them now are able to talk of their experiences. But the situation is very bad as you find a father defiling his own child. We need the media to keep on talking of this issue so that we put a stop to it as it affects the future of the girl," Sr Sandings said.

ZAMWA programmes officer Pauline Songiso said there was need to have recommendations and strategies for legal reform based on an analysis of substantive and procedural laws in formal and traditional legal systems that impede and or facilitate girls' access to justice and perpetuate or condone sexual violence against girls.

"This should include activities, include a review of law, procedures and practice, customary on response to SVAG (sexual violence against girls). Increase knowledge among the legal community such as lawyers, law school faculty and prosecutors on international, regional and national legal standards applicable to the rights of girls," Songiso said.

She said the police's Victim Support Unit (VSU), which was often the first contact for victims, faced several challenges including resource constraints thus affecting its ability to respond and follow up cases effectively.

"The challenges include office space where survivors can be interviewed and cases can be dealt with in privacy. Many officers working in the VSU lack the necessary skills to enable them to deal adequately with gender violence including skills in psycho-social counselling, the long process of collecting forensic evidence such as DNA which is done in South Africa," she said.

Songiso said health centres, which were usually the second point of contact are also constrained by systemic lack of resources, shortage of staff and facilities.

"The law requiring corroboration of a child's evidence should be abolished and there is need to amend the medical and allied professions Act to expand the legal definition of who is able to sign a medical examination form to allow other hospital clinical staff such as nurses to support this role," she said.

Songiso said there was need to review key legislation affecting sexual violence against girls such as the constitutional provision on defilement, laws on marriage and the media could greatly help with identifying cases for strategic litigation and other support.

And Derrick Sialondwe, who is a child sex abuse coordinator at the Livingstone General Hospital, said child sexual abuse (CSA) in Zambia had received minimal attention to date and there was virtually no data on it published.

"Regardless of these factors and difficulties in quantifying CSA, it has been repeatedly reported in the media on the daily basis. In examining the nature of the perpetrator at Livingstone General Hospital CSA One Stop Centre, it has been found that 30 per cent account for relatives, 60 per cent account for trusted people known to the child such as teachers, fellow pupils, neighbours, and 10 per cent accounts for the strangers," Sialondwe said.

"According to statistics, most of the cases seen at LGH CSA One-Stop Centre come from within and outskirts of Livingstone. However, it is well known that there are enormous numbers of sexual abuse incidents which are never reported to any health facility, Victim Support Unit or the police.

"It is a common secret within all ethnic groups. It exists among the rich and the poor, the highly literate people and the illiterate people. According to the rapid assessment of the incidence of child abuse in Zambia report on literacy and gender, 33 per cent of sexually-abused children did not go to school and 67 per cent attended school; 72 per cent were females and 28 per cent were males."

He said signals and symptoms of defilement that parents should look for in their children fall in two categories - physical and emotional.

"The physical symptoms include swelling on the genitals, abrasion or bruises on the body, genital sores or ulcer, genital watts, vaginal discharge. Under emotional you have behaviour such as excessive crying, an increase in irritability or temper tantrums, aggression towards others, poor school performance, bed wetting or soiling of pants, knowing more of sexual behaviour than what is expected of a child of that age, sexualised play such as trying to have sex with other children," said Sialondwe.