Zambians Demand Justice Against Rising Child Rape Incidents

Protests erupt in Zambia as reports of child rape soar, with demands for stronger legal action and societal moral reflection.

A wave of protests swept through Zambia's capital, Lusaka, following shocking reports of child rape incidents that have left the nation in disbelief. In recent months, numerous cases have emerged, including that of a father reportedly raping his seven-year-old daughter while she received cancer treatment in the hospital. Another disturbing case claimed that a five-year-old girl was assaulted by a group of four men, alongside other harrowing reports of sexual abuse, including a father who infected his six-year-old child with genital warts.

Zambia's Justice Minister, Princess Kasune-Zulu, has voiced her outrage, proposing severe measures including castration for convicted child rapists, claiming, "How low can we go as a nation? It is up to us as Zambians to interrogate why our morals have decayed." These sentiments were echoed during a significant protest march on Thursday, where citizens, alongside civil organizations and musicians, gathered to demand stronger laws protecting children. They delivered a petition to Vice-President Mutale Nalumango, pushing for changes that would prevent bail for those accused of child rape.

Vice-President Nalumango asserted that this issue requires a collective response, urging Zambians to take a stand against such heinous crimes. Musician Daputsa Nkhata-Zulu, known as Sista D, expressed the urgent need for a safe environment for children and supported extreme punitive measures for offenders.

The Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation reported alarming statistics, revealing over 10,000 cases of gender-based violence against children in just the first three months of 2024. These incidents predominantly took place in Lusaka, highlighting a crisis in the country's moral and legal frameworks. With over 32,000 individuals seeking counselling for gender-based violence last year, the urgent call for change is now louder than ever, as Zambians unite to combat the epidemic of child rape.