Thu, 05 Oct 2017 10:22:05 +0000
By MUKOSELA KASALWE
IT is disheartening that a 65-year-old man can defile a five-year-old which is literally cutting short her life and we hope that the law will take its course, says NGOCC executive director Engwase Mwale.
Ms Mwale said it was a shame that an old man who was expected to protect the life of a young one would stoop so low to destroy her life and future as she would be traumatised by the incident.
In an interview at the weekend, Ms Mwale said it was beyond human reasoning and unthinkable that a person regarded as a grandfather would defile a five-year-old girl.
In a query to Daily Nation over the matter, police public relations officer Esther Katongo confirmed a report of defilement in Lusaka’s Kanyama compound involving a 65-year-old man on a five-year-old.
Ms Katongo identified the assailant as Leonard Chisambi, of Kanyama compound and that the incident was believed to have happened on September 20, this year at around 17:00 hours.
Ms Mwale said it was unfortunate that despite punitive measures, the cases of gender-based violence and defilement were still on the rise.
“It is unfortunate that an old man of 65 years can defile a five-year-old girl, this is literally cutting short the life of the young one.
‘‘As the NGOCC we are taken aback and we hope justice will prevail on this matter,” Ms Mwale said.
She said the nongovernmental organisation was calling for an all stakeholders and interest groups “indaba” to see how best the scourge could be addressed.
