The Observer (Kampala)
Peter Nkhonjera
3 September 2009
By now most, if not all, Ugandans will be aware of the latest and perhaps most despicable brand of crime threatening a child's right to life in Uganda: child sacrifice!
In 2008, the print and electronic media was awash with horrifying stories of children murdered for ritual purposes. According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report of 2008, the murder of children for ritual purposes rose by over 800%, from 3 cases reported in 2007, to 25 cases reported and investigated in 2008. In the first quarter of 2009, 18 cases of this crime were reported to the Uganda Police Force.
The brutality and finality with which this dreadful crime is meted out on children has precipitated a national outcry of unparalleled proportion for swift and decisive action to end this vice. From children to Civil Society Organisations, parents to parliamentarians and from the police to the church, the message couldn't be more consistent - child sacrifice is unacceptable; it must stop - and its perpetrators must be brought to book.
This call to action has not fallen on deaf ears; Government is expected to table a paper in Parliament on steps taken to address this problem. Children have petitioned Parliament about the need for a strong Government response to this crime. Christian leaders on their part have held forty-days of fasting and prayer in a nationwide campaign against child sacrifice. The Uganda Police force has established a special unit to reinforce investigation of cases.
As Ugandans applaud Government's resolve to deal with this indefensible offence, preventing the occurrence of child sacrifice should be a central part of the response effort.
Currently, a lot is being done to strengthen the existing laws and structures for investigating cases of child sacrifice and bringing perpetrators to book. While this is very important for ensuring justice, it does not sufficiently address itself to the 'life-saving' issue of how to prevent another child being sacrificed.
As the age-old adage goes, 'prevention is better than cure', this could not be truer for child sacrifice. As a country, we cannot afford to have more incidences of innocent children's lives lost to sacrifice. Bringing perpetrators to justice, though important, can never atone for the enduring trauma and pain experienced through the loss of a child to sacrifice.
The question is: how can we prevent its occurrence? This is by no means an easy question to answer - particularly when, in some of the cases, even biological parents have been implicated in the sacrifice of their own children. Notwithstanding the overwhelming nature of this question, it must be answered - and urgently too.
Information on recognising danger signs and avoiding predisposing situations at the family, school and community level should be availed to the population. Parents, child minders, community leaders, schools - even children can play a big role in stemming this problem if provided with the right information. Fortunately, some lifesaving practices already exist albeit little-known.
Here are just but some of the measures being taken to protect children from sacrifice:
Some schools have developed strict procedures regarding the collection of children at the end of the school day to prevent kidnap.
Some other schools have devised measures to increase protection of children who have to walk to and from school. In this regard, children are required to keep in groups when moving to or from school. In addition, some schools have adjusted arrival and departure time so that children do not arrive before 8:00am or leave school after 5:00pm.
Furthermore, children are cautioned against accepting vehicle rides from strangers. At the home level, child minders in some families are instructed not to let in visitors, whether they are personnel of utility departments or extended family members whose arrival they have no prior knowledge of.
At the community level, community members in some areas, with support from local governments, community-based organisations, local and international non-governmental organisations have established child protection committees responsible for protection of children from violence and abuse.
Save the Children in Uganda has supported the initiatives of these committees in the districts in which it is operational. Among other things, these committees monitor the movement of children between home and schools. In addition, they initiate community regulations for protecting children from violence and abuse-such as outlawing the movement of children on their own, especially at night.
Interventions such as these are playing crucial life-saving roles and must be promoted and made widely known. One way to do this is through production and dissemination of information through posters, guidebooks with tips, stickers and music, dance and drama for public awareness creation.
All concerned, including Government, caregivers, civil society actors, community leaders, educationists and even children, have a shared responsibility in this regard. However, Government, as the primary duty bearer for protecting children's rights, should provide leadership and direction in undertaking this invaluable responsibility. If we measure up to this task, we will go a long way in preventing death of more children from sacrifice.
The author is the Deputy Country Director
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