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The impact of judicial officers strike on children
Justice for Children Trust
March 31, 2008

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The strike of judicial officers late last year which crept on to early this year not only delayed but also denied some children the right to justice. Wheels of justice not only turned slow but in some instances they actually stopped in cases involving children. Here is the story of Aggie* whose name has been changed to protect her identity.

Aggie* was a thriving healthy seven year old growing up with her parents at a farm at which they were farm workers. She was attending grade 2 at the farm school and was eager to further her studies. In December 2006 she was allegedly sexually abused by the son of a neighbour who was an adult. During the course of the alleged rape, she sustained a hip joint dislocation. The matter was reported by her parents in December 2006 after they had noticed that she was failing to walk properly. The accused was arrested and released on bail at court pending further investigations. A medical report was produced but when the record went to court, the documents could not be located and a new record had to be reconstructed. By then Aggies's legs were infected and she had stopped going to school. A well wisher bought Aggie some wooden clutches which she used for walking. By the time the new record was reconstructed, court officials were on strike.

At around the same time, the nurses and doctors were on strike. In the meantime, Aggies's condition worsened, she could not walk anymore and was bedridden. The accused also used the opportunity to leave the country, By the time the local police officers tried to engage Interpol, Aggie* got admitted in hospital and passed away. If the accused had been convicted of rape, he could then be charged of culpable homicide for causing Aggies's death but because of the delays due to the strike, this did not happen. When Aggie's condition was deteriorating and the parents were failing to afford the necessary medication, they could have sued for damages from the parents, but because of the strike by the judicial officers, their hands were tied. Aggie's* story therefore is a strong reminder to all organizations engaged in child protection to lobby and advocate for improvement in the conditions of service of the justice delivery system and is a clear case of justice delayed is justice denied. If you know of similar cases involving children denied access to justice because of the strike or if you are interested in further discussion, be free to contact us.

Children becoming child rights watchdogs
JCT continues to educate children on the laws that govern their welfare through activities in schools. This is done through training teachers and peer educators and other children at selected schools in different provinces in the country. Equipped with legal knowledge, the children are now at the forefront in fighting the violation of their rights. Last month we highlighted that the children were trained in pro-action and the results are already coming in. A case in point is one that occurred in a certain district.

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