Mozambique: Terrorists accused of using children as shields
Sexual abuse of minors reaches alarming levels in Nampula, World Vision warns – Audio
3:32 CAT | 26 Nov 2019
in file CoM
World Vision says at least 200 girls have been sexually abused in the first six months of this year in just one Mozambican province, reflecting a very worrying trend in the violation of children’s rights in Mozambique.
The figure is for the first six months of 2019, and the cases occurred in the northern province of Nampula, according to Eleutério Finita, Director of Advocacy and Justice for Children at World Vision (WV), an American Christian organisation.
“This gives us an average of at least – because these are only the reported cases – at least one girl being sexually abused per day in Nampula alone,” Finita pointed out.
The United Nations Children’s Fund is also concerned about premature marriages, WV representative in Mozambique Marcoluigi Corsi says.
Premature Marriage Act in force
Corsi says that in Mozambique, 15% of children under the age of 15 get married, “which is very worrying.”
Mozambique’s Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Cidália Chaúque, said that about 9,000 premature marriages had been identified.
The Law on Prevention and Combating Premature Unions came into force this Friday, November 22 in Mozambique. The legislation, recently passed by parliament, aims, among other objectives, to annul existing premature marriages.
The Mozambican Commission on Human Rights, which has been dealing with child trafficking, especially to neighbouring South Africa, says: “These situations violate the rights of the child.”
By Ramos Miguel
Source: Voa Portugues
Show comments
Also read
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.