Wage war against defilement

Not a single day passes without hearing about a defilement case in Malawi. The most recent one being that of three Chancellor College students who defiled young girls aged under 16.

This is unacceptable and we cannot just fold our hands waiting for this ill behaviour to vanish on its own.

The defilers, who sometimes go unpunished, believe that these young girls are easy prey to satisfy their sexual desires. Some even think it is justifiable to sleep with these girls as long as they get consent from them.

Malawians should reflect thoughtfully and put an end to this bad behaviour before it becomes a national crisis.

Firstly, people should know that no one can use consent from such girls as defence against defilement charges in court because girls under this age are unable to make sound and valid decisions.

Section 138 of the Penal Code clearly states that consent from such girls is an invalid defence in law.

Whether you were in a relationship or you bought such under-age girl expensive gifts, the truth is that consent from her is no defence in criminal law.

Most girls are susceptible to sexual exploitation, defilement due to poverty, peer pressure and insecurity and not necessarily because they choose to.

Some are taken advantage of because they have little or no knowledge about sex and their sexuality and it is this lack of knowledge that puts them at risk.

Protecting the life of a girl child is a task that each one of us must do. The continuity of human race depends on a girl child.

We all have a task therefore to make it happen.

Furthermore, Malawi is a party to the Convention on the Rights of a Child.

Article 34 of this convention obliges countries to protect the child from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.

This article puts a legal obligation on the government to put in place measures to ensure that girls are protected from all forms of sexual exploitation.

Defilement is equivalent to murder as it brings multiple consequences to the young girl.

Firstly, early pregnancies which raise several physical problems to girls. Their bodies are not ready for childbirth.

Malawi is still experiencing high rates of maternal mortality which represents about 16 percent of all deaths of women aged 15-49.

Girls giving birth below 16 are 15 times more likely to die than those aged 20-30.

Contracting sexually transmitted diseases is also easy for girls aged under 16 because they do not have enough knowledge on their health and how it works.

Other emotional factors have emerged that affect young girls going through this traumatic experience. Their performance in school and their interaction with the social world is affected.

They live in fear and are always reserved.

This in return has a huge negative impact on the country both socially and economically.

Therefore, it is everybody’s role to put a stop to these acts by increasing public awareness against child defilement and any other forms of sexual exploitation and give existing mechanisms to young girls who are approached or abused to report such cases.

By putting this in public, we shall also assist these young girls to try their best to stay away from such situations and concentrate on building their future.

This is a role that should be advanced by every Malawian for the continuity of our human race.

Together we can put a stop to this bad behaviour reigning in our country. n