UN child agency reports big increase in rape and abuse cases

By Tererai Karimakwenda
28 February, 2008

A shocking increase in child abuse and rape in Zimbabwe has been reported by the United Nations Children's Fund. Launching their campaign "Stand Up and Speak Out" in Harare on Wednesday, UNICEF reported that child rape has increased by 42%. Chief representative Dr Festo Kavishe said social workers had found that this increase is linked to the deteriorating economy. When adults are no longer able to provide the basics such as food and school fees, they tend to vent their anger on children.

Kavishe reported that cases of domestic violence and assault had increased dramatically in cases where the breadwinners were unable to provide food and other basics for their families. The traditional role of the head of the family is disappearing as people struggle to survive from day to day.

Kavishe said UNICEF is calling on children, their relatives and church and other organisations to fight what they described as the “unspeakable evils of child abuse". He is quoted as saying: "There is a tendency for people to take out their frustrations on children when they are unable to provide necessary care. Child rape, that most abhorrent of crime, is just one type of abuse. Zimbabwe's current economic challenges have meant an increase in verbal abuse, neglect and physical violence."

Although it is known that many other cases had not been reported due to a culture of secrecy and denial, police figures obtained by UNICEF showed there was an increase in the reported rape of minors from 2,192 in 2003 to 3,112 in 2006.

Journalist Angus Shaw who was at the launch Wednesday, said that the tension attributed to the deteriorating economy was very visible on the streets. He said a group of women he spoke to described how there was a massive increase in violence at home and there was much more tension and shame because the traditional role of the provider has eroded.

UNICEF is deeply concerned with what they called “a new category” of children known as "diaspora orphans". These are children whose parents or carers left to go seek better opportunities in other countries as the economic crisis intensified over the last few years. It is believed at least 4 million Zimbabweans are living outside the country in South Africa, Europe, the United States and Australia.

Shaw said it appears that UNICEF wants to push child abuse as a very important and critical new agenda in child care in Zimbabwe. They invited not only the media to the launch, but aid agencies and government officials as well. “I was very depressed when I got out of there. The statistics were quite depressing,” said Shaw.

Zimbabwe has by far the world's highest inflation, officially over 100 000%. It is widely accepted that there can be no solution to the economic crisis until the broader political crisis is resolved.