BONELA: Amon escapes defilement charge
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Thursday May 19, 2016 08:47
Amon impregnated a 16-year-old student who was doing Form IV at Nata Senior Secondary School. BONELA and Ndadi had gone to Sebina village on Saturday and met the victim and her parents. According to information provided, by the time the girl fell pregnant, she was already above 15 years, as she was born on December, 29, 1999.
Yesterday Ndadi told a press conference that: “We are of the strong view, and we have shared these views with the police that there exists at least a prima facie case of providing a child with alcohol and causing a child to engage in immoral sexual activities contrary to sections 57 (3) and 60 of the Children’s Act. These offences attract a minimum sentence of two years to 10 years or a fine of P20,000 to P50,000,” Ndadi said.
Ndadi said the councillor and the child had started having sexual encounters from January and the child fell pregnant on February 13.
“The child said she lost her virginity to the councillor and she really did not know how to handle the pressure of being asked out by an elderly person. She has ambitions of going back to school and she dreams of one day being a doctor,” he said.
He said the police summoned the family and the councillor where the councillor accepted responsibility.
BONELA’s policy and legal advisor, Phadzha Molebatsi said: “From our visit we have also noted evidence of the failure or reluctance by children to report cases of child abuse. The world may not be as safe as we think it is, consequently a need arises for parents to closely monitor that their children are not abused by strangers; the abusers are usually known to them like in this case.”
Molebatsi said they condemn those people who use the influence of their offices to take advantage of children. He called upon the police to also look into the possibility of the perpetrator having provided the child with alcohol, which is an offence in terms of the Children’s Act. “The current relationship between the police and civil society organisations working around children’s issues leaves much to be desired,” Molebatsi said.