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DESPITE having about six laws that protect children, at least 227 school children were sexually abused by either teachers or supporting staff from January last year to September this year, it emerged this week.

Investigations this week revealed that some of the cases were going unreported, as some of the abused children were being bribed with high pass grades and in some cases, they are exempted from corporal punishment.

Some of these cases are only reported after the accused persons refuse to marry the victims or the girl has fallen pregnant or marry the victims and later divorce them.

Among the laws that protect children are the Children's Adoption and Protection Act, the Maintenance Act, the Education Act, the Deceased Person's Family Act, the Guardianship of Minors Act and the Birth and Registration Act.

According to statistics made available by the Police Victim Friendly Unit on cases reported through the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture in April alone, Manicaland had the highest number of cases. The province recorded 10 cases, followed by Mashonaland Central, which had nine cases, while Bulawayo Metropolitan and Midlands had a single case each.

Most of the cases were sexual abuses, while the single case that was reported in Bulawayo was lesbianism.

In most cases, the abusers were reported to be using storerooms, libraries, offices and classrooms to commit the offences.

In an interview, the chairperson of the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe, Ms Betty Makoni, said schools were proving to be unsafe for children, with teachers and supporting staff preying on innocent schoolchildren.

"Schoolchildren, especially girls, are being abused for little benefits, some of them as little as potato crisps. The schoolchildren are proving to be easy prey for teachers because of the authority they (teachers) hold over them. Because of this AIDS scourge, some men are afraid to go for older women for the fear of contracting the deadly disease and target young children instead.

"The Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture should take this issue seriously because many victims are suffering in silence, especially in remote parts of the country," she said.

Acting Manicaland provincial education director, Mr Peter Muzawazi, said issues of child abuse were now a cause for concern in the ministry and implored on victims to come out in the open and report all the cases.

"We have presided over quite a number of cases involving child abuse and this is worrisome. Victims should come out in the open," he said.

In one of the cases that have attracted the ire of parents and the community, a schoolteacher at Devuli Secondary School, just after Birchenough Bridge Growth Point, Terrence Muusha, is alleged to have an affair with one of the Form Four students (name supplied) and usually goes with her for shopping on paydays.

Muusha was recently suspended over the issue and a disciplinary hearing for the case was recently heard and a determination is still to be passed.

Mr Muzawazi confirmed the hauling of Muusha before a disciplinary hearing and said if any new evidence linking him to the case comes up, investigations would be constituted.

However, parents, who spoke to The Manica Post on condition of anonymity, alleged that Muusha was seen on numerous occasions with the schoolchild, despite the fact that he is married and stays with his wife at the school.

"On April 5, 2006, Muusha's wife even went to the headmaster's house and cried before him, saying the student was destroying her marriage. The next day, the student was expelled from school, with the headmaster announcing during assembly that she was destroying one of the staff members' marriage.

"Although Muusha has been on suspension for three months from May 12, 2006 to July 26, 2006, he is now back at work and we do not know what happened," said an irate parent.

Presenting a paper during a Manicaland provincial gender awareness workshop held in Mutare last month, Zimbabwe Republic Police's provincial Victim Friendly Unit co-ordiator, Inspector Tobias Mabika, said a total of 330 girls were sexually abused in Manicaland between January and July, this year.

"The age groups (i.e victims) of 12-16 years, have the highest frequency. This age group is affected by the crime of contravening Section 70 (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, formerly known as Statutory Rape.

"The second vulnerable group is the 6-11 years, which in law is incapable of consenting to sexual intercourse. The number of these children being abused clearly indicates that we have challenges ahead of us," he said.

Insp Mabika said an analysis of the relationship between accused persons and the victims revealed that the majority of the abusers were related to the victims.

"Victims usually trust abusers, who are usually guardians, neighbours or villagers. These victims are usually left in the custody of their abusers by their parents. In cases of neighbours or villagers (abusers), they usually approach victims, well knowing that they will be alone at their parents' homes and abuse them," he said.

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