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HomePress ReleaseTaLI speaks on 14 year old Mudzi girl who was killed

TaLI speaks on 14 year old Mudzi girl who was killed

Tag a Life International (TaLI) is deeply concerned by the continued gender based violence crimes that are being committed against girls and women by first or second time offenders while they are on bail. Specifically to mention is the recent article that was reported in the press of a 14 year old Mudzi girl who was killed on the 15th of October 2015 by a school teacher Bernard Chiwengwa.

Chiwengwa is reported to have been on bail after raping the same child in July while he committed this crime. TaLI has over the years advocated for stiffer bail conditions for perpetrators of rape and domestic violence in the interest of protecting the survivors, which seems not to be the case at the moment.

It has always been our concern that survivors of abuse especially of sexual nature have to live in the same communities as their offenders rendering them too much vulnerability such as being intimidated by their rapist, being stigmatized by society when they do not supposedly see the law working to protect survivors, repeated rape and the most terrible, killing of the survivor. We say supposedly because nomatter how heinous the crime of sexual abuse a man commits against a girl or young woman, they always find themselves out on a $50 bail which is often coupled with weak conditions enough to allow them power over their victim.

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The Girl Child in Mudzi must not have suffered such death. Conditions and circumstances around her death are mirror and indications of neglect from a system that is supposed to protect children. The child is reported to have tried to get help even though from the Victim’s family as the only close help she could get. Though others from the accused’s family tried to help, she was evidently still very vulnerable and the perpetrator took advantage of that.

Emirates

In early 2013 we lost another dear young girl Tsitsi Stacey Munjoma in a similar case. This time we have lost yet another girl from old men who are supposed to be the protectors of these girls. UNICEF reported that 74% of girls who are raped are perpetrated by people they know. It is with deep sadness and concern as an organization that we call for the government of

Zimbabwe to put stringent measures and efforts to protect and place value in girls by doing the following:
1. By bringing up the bail money for perpetrators of abuse to nothing less than $5000
2. That the conditions of such a bail if granted, to include security and safety of the victims by secluding with monitoring, the victim from their perpetrator in terms of location.
3. That the stiffer penalties that we have been advocating for be implemented immediately.
4. That the government of Zimbabwe places value on girls and young women through investing in a strong justice system that works for them. There are fewer courts that hear the cases of abuse of children and also few magistrates.
5. Many cases of abuse of girls especially are being dismissed in the courts; girls are not getting the justice they deserve. We ask the government to make the courts girls and women friendly in terms of the rulings that they give to such cases.
6. We continue being concerned by the fact that, livestock seem to receive more attention and urgency than human beings. The issues of laws that protect girls and young women from sexual exploitation in the form of child marriage, age of consent and public violence seem not to receive much attention as no law specifically protects them inspite of the constitution being clear about its provisions for security and gender equality between women and men.

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Nyaradzo Mashayamombe, Executive Director,
Tag a Life International Trust (TaLI) – Making the World a Safe Place for the Girl Child.
Email: tag.alife@gmail.com
Mobile: 0777 549 090
No 288 Hebert Chitepo
Cnr Seventh Street &Chitepo
Harare

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