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Child
protection and access to justice for people with disabilities programme
Leonard Cheshire Zimbabwe Trust (LCZT)
January 29, 2013
Incidences of abuse involving
people with disabilities (PWDs) in Zimbabwe occur on a distressingly
large scale. The sad reality is that most cases go unreported, even
disclosure of the abuse seldom leads to a conviction of the abuser
due to attitudinal and communication barriers. Children and women
with disabilities (CWDS) for instance, continue to suffer in shadows
despite efforts and investments made to curb child abuse in Zimbabwe
including good laws, protocol for the multi-sectoral management
of child sexual abuse and numerous awareness raising programmes
on the effects of abuse among PWDs. Disability unfriendly reporting
mechanisms and insufficient knowledge on handling people with disabilities
by the relevant authorities pose challenges for people with disabilities
to access justice in Zimbabwe. On the other hand, fear, lack of
knowledge about what is happening to them, and lack of access to
trustworthy persons to confide, imprison thousands of PWDs every
day in cocoons of silence. Only a few are able to seize opportunities
to take part in decisions, to take action and to make change in
their lives.
Leonard Cheshire Zimbabwe
Trust (LCZT) is closing the gap in realizing PWDs's human
rights through provision of technical support to the Victim friendly,
Civil and Provincial Criminal Courts professionals through a Child
Protection and Access to Justice for people with disabilities Programme.
This pilot which commenced in July 2012 focuses on the secondment
of a team of experts in disabilities (sign language interpreters,
braille readers etc) to each; Victim Friendly sub-committee (coordinated
by the Regional Courts); Civil and; Criminal Court that is activated
and responds to cases of abuse among people with disabilities requiring
special intervention as they come up. It seeks to ensure that specialised
and timely support is available to each of the VF, Civil and Provincial
Criminal court as soon as a person with a disability is identified
as a survivor, witness, alleged offender or other significant stakeholder
with a right to participate in the justice process. Building, reorienting
and strengthening the response mechanisms for PWDs' protection
ensures that the VFC, Civil and Provincial Criminal Courts stakeholders;
deal with PWDs in a disability-sensitive manner, work to expedite
cases involving PWDs and refer PWDs to post-trial care and support
services where necessary in a manner that creates a confidential
and conducive criminal justice system for PWDs.
LCZT has partnership
with 36 disability service organisations with coherent structures
at various levels whose experts will constitute the stand-by Team
of Disability Experts that provides services to the VFS, Civil and
Provincial Criminal Courts professionals during investigations,
prosecution, trial proceedings and post-trial period. This service
can be activated by the VF Courts or other VF stakeholders, Civil
and Criminal Courts professionals following which, LCZT in collaboration
with the office of the National VFC Coordinator will coordinate
and facilitate the involvement of the Team of Disability Experts
and other support mechanisms necessary to enable the child to access
the VF and judicial system. The programme also provides logistical
support in the form of meeting costs that cover medical assessments
and transport of the stakeholders.
For more information
about the programme or alerting LCZT about suspected cases please
get in touch with Morgen Chinoona at 0773 051 751 or Greaterman
Chivandire at 0774 308 334.
Visit the Leonard
Cheshire Zimbabwe Trust fact
sheet
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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