Ending Violence Against Children Goes Beyond Symbolism

In 2023, 928 children were sexually abused and 526 cases of physical abuse of children were reported.

This was detailed in an article by The Namibian. 

These numbers are not mere statistics; they represent stolen childhoods.

The recent rape and murder of five-year-old Ingrid Maasdorp and six-year-old Roswinds Fabianu, may their souls rest in peace, has once again sparked online fury from Namibians but there is still no long-term solution in sight to protect our children.

Sadly, candlelight vigils, prayers and protests are not enough to protect children from violence.

As a nation, each and everyone of us needs to start taking the safety of our children seriously.

DECADES OF SYSTEMIC FAILURE

The admission by the Namibian Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate that little progress has been made in solving several high-profile cases involving murdered or missing children is devastating.

Namibian institutions face systemic challenges in protecting one of the country’s most vulnerable demographics.

The cases of Magdalena Stoffels (2010), Avihe Cheryl Ujaha (2018), Mandela Nakale (2020), and Oswyn Myne Seibeb (2022) remain unresolved.

This reflects decades of systemic failure. How do we ensure that no more children will join that list?

BEYOND SYMBOLISM

It is important to hold candlelight vigils, sign online petitions and join protests but we need to take our solidarity and concern further.

We need to do all that we can to help protect children from violence and abuse.

Importantly, our institutions need to do more.

During the sixth session of the Children’s Parliament in July 2024, we passed a motion calling on then president Nangolo Mbumba to declare a state of emergency on violence against children.

We renew this call to the new president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, and the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations.

A state of emergency will ensure that immediate funding is directed to strengthen child protection systems, and that legislation and policies are fast-tracked to enforce stricter sentencing for child abuse.

It will also improve interagency coordination, and strengthen community education initiatives on spotting and reporting instances of violence against children.

The state of emergency must also call for all unresolved cases of abused children to be reopened and reinvestigated to ensure justice prevails – the full might of Namibia’s police cluster should be directed towards investigating these brutal crimes.

It must also ensure that we expedite a national register for sex offenders, similar to the one in South Africa.

This would allow employers in the public and private sectors to ensure prospective employees are fit to work with children in, for example, our schools, crèches and hospitals.

THE VILLAGE’S DUTY

It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child.

As children facing the current harsh realties, we call on every member of the public to embrace the shared duty to protect children.

No crime happens in isolation – members of the public must stop protecting the perpetrators and report instances of violence against children. 

The Children’s Parliament tabled the motion to declare a state of emergency in regard to violence against children on behalf of all those whose childhoods were stolen through heinous acts.

But we are all responsible for the world we live in.

• Naomi Shakungu is the chief whip of the Children’s Parliament and can be reached at naomishakungu07@gmail.com; Gerson Neumbo is the chairperson of the standing committee on education and ICT of the Children’s Parliament and can be reached at neumbogerson@icloud.com

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