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Girl child sexual abuse perpetrated by high profile and public figures
Girl Child Network (GCN)
June 16, 2005

Girl Child Network is greatly concerned and disturbed by the rising number of high profile and public figures in high offices of authority and responsibility as church leaders, politicians, school heads, N’anga, medical doctors, soldiers, police and government officials implicated in child sexual abuse cases.

GCN has noted with great concern the rising number in cases of girl child sexual abuse perpetrated by high profile and public figures in positions of power whom society look up to as custodians of children. Of late we have closely examined a paedophile style that is life threatening to our children and needs urgent attention. In most cases the victims and their families are threatened and victimised and intimidated for reporting. Normally the cases are categorised under statutory rape by the courts and drag on for unspecified reasons up until the victim gives up and opts for an out of court settlement. There is urgent need for government to push all possible measures to look into the 15 to 18 age group of sexually abused girls where rape cases are perpetrated against this age group are not given serious and urgent attention as the girls are forced or coerced or enticed to consent, during the rape act Even if they report no one believes them at all. The 15 to 16 age group of girls are under serious threat and as a country we are sitting on a health time bomb because of HIV and AIDS.

Of late there have been rape cases of minors brought to our attention that have taken too long to be heard and concluded by the courts of law. Rape survivors whose perpetrators are profile and public figures are particularly going through a horrid time as they are being harassed and accused of being liars, chased away from home for refusing accept for out of court settlement.

To cab further victimisation we urgently ask government to move with great speed and save the lives of some girls which are under siege.

• Marondera case of Katsiru has been postponed for more than 13 times. The victim is a member of the church and only 13 years.
• In Gokwe a case involving well known N’anga still has no docket though reported several times.
• In the Guvheya case, the perpetrator, a Dairy Board manager who raped a 13 year girl was dismissed under unclear circumstances. Case file still at Chitungwiza courts. We allege a bribe was paid.
• Mazowe case involving an army officer. He was acquitted under unclear circumstances. A prominent and well known insurance man attempted to rape the same girl.
• Tsanzaguru school, Rusape, girls were impregnated by ZNA trainees and their nearby training centre is a threat to girls.
• Lands Committee Chairperson and Politician in Chihota impregnated a 14 year old girl. He went on to victimise the neighbour who offered temporal shelter to the girl. The girl has a baby boy, dropped out of school and lost it all.
• In Bocha a bully teacher raped a grade 2pupil and teamed up with other male teachers and went on to harass the mother for reporting.
• Recent media reports in the Standard and the Herald indicate a 16 year old girl pregnant claiming maintenance from a top government official and the other convicted for dumping a baby who later died. Both perpetrators of statutory rape should be equally convicted.
• In Rusape a prominent businessman cum politician raped a 15 year old girl and threatened to deal with GCN staff. His son is a member of CIO.
• In Marondera a Doctor cum politician is a well known paedophile and a school girl has been sexually enslaved. He has more than 10 girls he impregnated but all cases cleared.
• A school head in Gokwe in decently assaulted a 15 year old girl and gave an excuse that he was checking the girls breast to confirm whether the girl was not pregnant. A nun was subsequently expelled from the school.
• A teacher in Mutasa District paid $25000 for attempted rape of a girl at a school. He later agreed to pay $800 000 to the parents.
• In Masasa Park, prominent businessman-cum-politician sexually abused a 5-year-old girl. The case has been postponed in courts.
• In Belvedere, a well-known businessman sexually abused two daughters aged 6 and 13 years. The case was cleared in the courts under unclear circumstances
• Deputy Head at Madamombe Primary indecently assaulted at least 3 girls from the school. Case still pending for unclear reasons.
• In Belvedere, a politician sexually abused his two daughters and a 13 year old house maid.
• Prominent Johane Marange prophet sexually abused and impregnated a 15 year old girl in Zengeza 2

All the above cases are just a tip of the iceberg. Besides the awareness campaigns on child sexual abuse that have enabled children to open up it is also imperative that the courts fast track these cases so as to enable children to have faith in the justice system. Deterrent sentences are a must. The Justice system should compliment ongoing efforts to curb this menace by sending strong warnings to would be rapists.

Government should come up with a visit of these and other paedophiles and publicise the names as a way of warning the general public. The media should assist in publicizing stories of perpetrators of rape who are high profile and public figures in various institutions. At the moment the net is closing in on the Marondera public figure and exposing him should scare off would be public figures that are supposed to be role models. In this syndicate there are direct and indirect perpetrators who should be equally punished.

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