Lusaka has so far recorded the highest girl child defilement cases with about 301 reported and confirmed cases. The cases of child defilement are still rife even after stiffer punishment being meted out to offenders.
Despite the efforts by both government and non-governmental organizations in the past few years, children, especially the girl child have fallen victim to defilement. Child defilement cases are complex as the children are in some cases defiled by close relations.
The government through the law enforcement have been trying to fight defilement through stiffening the punishment for perpetrators but cases have still continued to rise. There is need for members of the public to continue to report all cases despite the consequences so that this scourge is brought to an end.
Defilement victims usually suffer from physical, emotional and mental trauma and this poses as a threat to their wellbeing. Others fall pregnant while others suffer from health complications such as HIV\AIDS, other Sexually Transmitted infections or fistula.
In a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT by Zambia Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo, Lusaka province recorded the highest number of child defilement cases with 301 translating to 42% of the child defilement cases reported countrywide.
She further stated that Central Province recorded the second highest with 102 cases translating to 14% followed by Eastern province with 89 cases translating to 12%. Southern Province had 48 cases translating to 6% of all the reported defilement cases.
She added that other provinces like North western recorded 35 cases representing 5%, Luapula had 27 cases representing 4%, Western and Muchinga recorded the lowest cases of 23 each representing 3%.
Due to the complex nature of child defilement cases, some provinces record lower cases not because there is low occurrence incidents, but due to the failure by relatives to report the cases to law enforcement agencies. It is therefore incumbent upon all members of society to take these matter seriously and were it occurs, report to police so that offenders are made to account for their actions.
