‘Criminalise failure to report rape cases’

A REGIONAL magistrate in Mashonaland West has urged the Legislature to amend the prescription of rape cases in Zimbabwe to criminalise acts of failure to report incidences of child rape.

Addressing stakeholders at a one-day workshop on multi-sectorial management of child sexual abuse and violence in Zimbabwe held in Chinhoyi, regional magistrate Mr Amos Mbobo said rape offences were happening within family set-ups and family members were covering up the crimes.

“I would like to note with concern that rape offences are happening within the family set-ups, where children are being raped by very close relatives or guardians and when they report to the family, some members try to sweep the matter under the carpet,” he said.

“I recommend that we have a law that criminalises the failure to report incidences of child rape because the existing laws are not adequate to deal with this problem.

Our laws pertaining to child rape should be in line with international and regional standards.”

Mr Mbobo said a section of Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act should contain a provision, which criminalised serious omissions of not reporting child rape after having knowledge of commission of such crimes.

“Section 565 of the Criminal Law, Codification and Reform Act should contain a provision, which criminalises serious omissions of not reporting child rape after having knowledge of the commission of such a crime, rape is a crime against humanity and it questions our laws,” he said.

“Any person who has knowledge that a sexual offence has been committed against a child must report such offences to the police, we have a number of records of people who try to sweep such matters under the carpet, however, something needs to be done because our existing laws are not adequate to deal with this problem.”