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*220 Minors Raped Inside 9 Months - Minister Nyoni*

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At least 220 minors were raped in the country between January and September 2022, Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni has revealed.

Nyoni released the statistics on Friday at the national commemorations of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at Maramba Primary School in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe District, Mashonaland East province. She said:

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> Statistics from the police show that during the period of January to September 2022 a total of 435 rape cases were reported and of these, 58% involved minors. This figure is too high to be ignored.

> In addition, a total of 959 sexual violence cases and 1 038 domestic violence cases were reported during the same period.

> These are figures of reported cases, but we are fully aware that so many similar cases go unreported all in the name of preserving the family name.

> During the course of the year, we have also witnessed very shocking cases of sexual abuse of children.

> These experiences have pained us, and we need to say a big “no” to gender-based violence (GBV) to preserve and save human life and the future of our children, especially girls.

Nyoni noted that in the majority of cases, parents and guardians are the perpetrators or facilitators of the abuse. She said:

> The recent spike in child sexual abuse cases, some of which result in minors falling pregnant and then dying while giving birth is disturbing.

> What is more disheartening to note is that in the majority of these cases, parents and guardians who are expected to be protecting these minors, are being found either as perpetrators or as facilitators of the abuse and even concealing these issues to protect the perpetrators.

Zimbabwe Women Resource Centre and Network executive director Dorothy Hove said there should be stiffer penalties for offenders that will act as a deterrent. She said:

> What angers me when it comes to the rights and abuses of children is that the justice system is failing us.

> It’s up to the justice system to just say today we are putting a stop to the abuse of children.

> The component of the justice system is that there are legal provisions and sentences that are pre-set for perpetrators against violence and against children but we are saying can they be reviewed to be a bit stiffer because they are not stiff enough to deter them from wanting to commit a crime.

> Why not consider maybe life sentencing or 40 years with a lot of hard work to accept that what they did was wrong?

This comes as an eight-year-old girl from Bindura was allegedly raped by two 17-year-old brothers. She is now six months pregnant. | NewsDay

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