WITH cases of violence remaining a challenge in the country, authorities in Kagera region are investigating an incident in which a Standard Six pupil was murdered in Kyerwa District of Kagera region.
Kagera Regional Police Commander (RPC), Assistant Commissioner (ACP) William Mwampaghale, explained that the shocking incident happened on December 25th this year at Ruhita village, Kamuli Ward.
He identified the deceased as Joyce Exavery (13), a Standard Six pupil at Msisha Primary School.
Meanwhile, a two-year old boy who accidentally relieved himself on his bed while sleeping was killed by his father identified as Juma Daniel (30), a resident of Kazingati village, in Ngara District after burning his buttocks.
The Police boss explained that Mr Daniel had married another wife, Emiliana Juma, after divorcing the child’s mother.
Daniel was allegedly angered by the act and punished the child by burning his buttocks using a hot object. The child sustained severe injuries and died three days later.
RPC Mwampaghale explained that the suspects had been arrested and they will be arraigned when investigations are completed, he said and strongly warned adults against perpetrating gender violence against children.
Yet again, a few weeks ago, a one-month-old child was also abducted by unknown thugs.
RPC Mwampaghale told reporters during a press conference that the incident happened at around 9.30 pm on December 1st, this year in Bukoba Municipal’s Migera Street at Nshambya ward.
“At around noon on that date, three men reported at the house of Ms Johanitha Augustine (25), who recently delivered a baby boy identified as Benita Beneth (one-month old).
“The three men congratulated her for the safe delivery while also asking whether they could see the child, but the mother declined because the child was asleep in one of the rooms. She later, escorted them some 200 metres away, but to her surprise, when she went back the baby was nowhere to be seen,” he said.
Elaborating, the RPC said initial investigations revealed that the abductors first visited a traditional healer at Kamachumu ward, in Muleba District while police detectives were hot on their heels.
However, the police officers were informed that the suspect who was holding the child had boarded a bus heading to Dar es Salaam.
“We sent detectives to Dar es Salaam, but the suspect managed to escape to Dodoma City where he was cornered on December 8th, this year. The child was in stable condition and had already re-united with her mother,” he said.
Child abduction is the offense of wrongfully removing or wrongfully retaining, detaining or concealing a child or baby.
Abduction is defined as taking away a person by persuasion, by fraud, or by open force or violence.
There are two types of child abduction; parental child abduction and abduction by a stranger. The same ACT makes it a criminal offense for ‘other persons’ (e.g. non-family members) to ‘take or detain’ a child under the age of 16 without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
Vice-President, Dr Philip Mpango, recently urged Tanzanians to strengthen protection of children from acts of violence, which affect them physically and psychologically.
A recent police report showed a 25.95 per cent increase in child sexual abuse cases from 2015-2020. In the year 2020, at least 7,388 cases were reported, while in 2015 some 5,803 cases were reported.
Police records showed that from January 2021 to December 2021, there were 11, 499 reported cases of abuse and violence against children in Tanzania.
Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 6: states….. parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), recent report, nearly 3 in 4 children, or 300 million children aged 2-4 years regularly suffer psychological violence at the hands of parents and caregivers.