Parents roped in as defilement, missing persons cases rise
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday January 28, 2026 06:33
The call was made by Commissioner of Police, Dinah Marathe, while reflecting on festive holidays Operation Pabalesego II 's crime overview recently.
Marathe said police observations during the festive holidays revealed worrying trends, particularly the neglect of children by parents and guardians. According to the police chief, many children were left home alone as parents travelled to cattle posts, lands and other rural areas, while others went out to harvest phane (mopane worms).
“As it stands, it appears that children receive better care when they are at school. I am pleading with parents to take parenting seriously, look after their children and mould them into individuals of good character who will become responsible citizens in the future,” Marathe said.
She expressed concern that when schools reopened recently, teachers discovered that a significant number of female learners had returned pregnant, a situation she described as a clear indication of weak parental guidance and supervision.
Marathe further noted that children are seen roaming the streets unsupervised, with some frequenting bars, entertaining themselves and, in some cases, consuming alcohol.
“These are the same children who perform poorly at school because their priorities have shifted away from education. School performance continues to decline largely due to a lack of proper parenting, hence our continued challenge to parents to look after their children,” she said.
During the period December 18, 2025, to January 4, 2026, police recorded an increase in defilement cases, which rose from 24 to 36 cases. Police reports showed that most of the victims were involved in romantic relationships with significantly older partners, with only a few dating their peers. “If parents were putting more effort into monitoring and guiding their children, they would be able to make them understand that engaging in romantic relationships at a young age is not acceptable and exposes them to danger,” she said.
The commissioner also disclosed an increase in missing persons cases during the same period, noting that most of those reported missing were children and young people. She said these cases were closely linked to the rise in defilement and drug abuse, adding that poor guardianship remained a major contributing factor.
“These trends show a strong connection between missing persons, defilement and substance abuse, all of which point to serious challenges in parental responsibility and supervision,” Marathe said.
However, child abuse is not a new occurrence in Botswana, as the raping and killing of children rose during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, with many of the perpetrators being people known to the victims, including close family members.
Police statistics show that 1,825 defilment cases were recorded in 2020, rising to 2,033 cases in 2021 and 2,059 cases in 2022. In response to the growing scourge, the government introduced stiffer penalties for sexual offences in 2023. However, Marathe said the crimes continue to be reported at worrying levels.
Under the revised laws, anyone convicted of defiling a child below the age of 18 now faces a minimum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, with a possibility of life imprisonment. Where an offender is found to be HIV-positive but unaware of their status at the time of the offence, the minimum sentence is 25 years. If the offender was aware of their HIV status, the minimum sentence increases to 30 years.
Marathe said the continued rise in cases was particularly concerning given that police have consistently engaged communities through kgotla meetings and outreach programmes, especially those targeting men.
“This continues to happen despite men knowing very well that engaging in romantic relationships with persons below the age of 18 is illegal. The continued increase in cases suggests that our messages are falling on deaf ears,” she said.
She reiterated the call for parents, guardians and communities at large to take collective responsibility in protecting children, stressing that law enforcement alone cannot win the fight against child abuse without strong family and community support.