Stay away from the streets to starve crime

 A man was recently convicted of defilement. His version of events claimed to have been in a sexual relationship with the minor who eventually reported him to police. This was when he failed to meet her K5 000 fees demand one particular day. At this point, the girl realised she was a minor and reported him. The girl claimed otherwise, of course.

I have observed a tendency by some minors to ‘provoke’ men and cry wolf because of payment disagreements. They seem to be ok with a purported transaction only to turn on ‘clients’ when demanding for more money or are denied payment. Once they ‘deal’ with the rotten apples, they return to the streets to ply their trade, both to make a living and victimise more men.

Let me make it clear here that I am not for stupid men soliciting sex from minors. Indeed, the law will continue to deal with any man who sleeps with minors, whether or not the minor initiated it. The minor— in case many of you are ignorant—does not owe the State an explanation when a defilement case is opened. She remains protected and no circumstance will justify that crime.

However, I am going to call a spade a spade. It is an open secret that many under-aged girls are roaming our streets in the night prostituting. I am sure all— government, parents, rights groupings, churches etc—have seen it, but are turning a blind eye. They all wait to act when something has gone wrong or indeed a disgruntled ‘child’ has cried foul.

If they are the juveniles they claim to be, what do they do on the streets at odd hours? Where are their guardians and parents? Where are law enforcers because they cannot only apply the law one sided?

When insurance companies assess compensations or claims, they check circumstances of a loss. For example, they look at whether property was well secured with a fence or burglar bars. Did a car have a sound security alarm? Was a house well secured with locks? etc. This is to to ascertain whether property was well secured before a break in and that it was not ‘laid bare’ for criminals to share the loot. In the same scenario, if sex predators are prosecuted, it is time the same law started securing these minors and guarding them jealously. It is time to stop the mere finger pointing when we have minors crowded on the streets offering sex for money.

Why not mount campaigns to remove these juveniles from the streets if the fight against rape or defilement is to be won? Is it not hypocritical to criminise men who bed minors while allowing minors throng the streets for livelihoods? Are parents and society not supposed to take the responsibility of safeguarding children?

To stop a cold, one keeps warm and requires plenty of rest rather than feeding it more by going drinking in the cold for example. To stop defilement, it is not only about teaching girls what to do, but they ought to stop actions that will fuel it—such as going into the dead of the night to ‘chill’. Get these minors of the streets, even if it means criminising their street parades.