Rape and defilement rage on

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Friday June 18, 2010 00:00

Driving without due care and attention, overspeeding, and drunken driving have led to the deaths at least 38 children aged between one and 17 over the past 18 months alone.

According to assistant superintendent Dimbo Peter of the Public Relations Unit of Botswana Police Service, most of the children who perish in these road accidents are either passengers or pedestrians, while some accidents occur in homes.

'There is no such provision in the Road Traffic Act to prosecute the parents or care givers of young victims of road accidents,' says Peter. 'Unless maybe we use other statutes.'

He revealed that a total of 487 cases of defilement of persons under the age of 16 were reported in the past 18 months countrywide and that most of the perpetrators were men who were either related to the victims or were caretakers of the victims.

Peter said the statistics are disturbing, particularly since it involves ' psychological damage to young lives who are still at school who are betrayed and hurt by the people they should trust'.

This has prompted the police to embark on a public education campaign about the seriousness of the matter and to encourage parents and guardians to take responsibility for children in their care.

In terms of existing laws, a person convicted of defilement faces a minimum jail term of 10 years or life imprisonment.

However, if it is proven that the accused was HIV positive but did not know his status, he faces a minimum term of 15 years or a maximum of life imprisonment with or without corporal punishment.

Peter revealed that if the accused person knew his or her HIV status when found guilty of defilement, they face a minimum of 20 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment with or without corporal punishment.