Tanzania Government Insists On Safe And Security Of Children:A father,40 years Old Sentenced To 30 Years Imprisonment For Raping His Daugther, Six Years Old
A father, 40 years old, Elias Fransisco of Byeju village,Mutukula ward in Missenyi District,Kagera Region, has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, after has been found guilty of raping his daughter of six years old.
The sentence was passed on 12 April 2023 by Missenyi district court magistrate, Yohana Myombo saying it should be a lesson to him and other sex offenders.
Missenyi District Public Prosecutor Inspector Zakayo Napegwa told the court that the offender was living with his three children whose mother died, the victim being the eldest, that on 21 October 2022 during night hours the father took a chance and raped his daughter.
Some women at the surrounding area identified the child was not able to walk properly and was weeping with sobs.
They asked her what was wrong, and she told them her father raped her. The matter was reported to the village leadership, and later to Police Force, who arrested the father and brought him before the court on 28 October 2022.
During trial, the prosecutor used witnesses and evidence to prove to the jury that the defendant committed the crime.
The witnesses told the court of how they identified the child, also Police Form 3 (a document that is given to a victim or survivor of a crime after an assessment by the police officer that there is reasonable basis to believe that an offence has been committed against the victim or survivor), and a doctor’s examination report were presented.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
PP Napegwa asked the court to give a severe punishment as that was a dreadful crime,as those who are responsible to guard the children against any violence,are the very ones who are hurting them.
The magistrate said the evidence produced before him leaves no doubt of the offence.
Davis Gisuka, Early Childhood Development Specialist and Technical Advisor with Children in Crossfire(CiC) Tanzania,when reached by this paper for his comment,he was happy the court punished the sex offender in accordance, but insisted the community should enhance social values such as fundamental rights and respect for human dignity to end child violence, especially to children of 0 to eight years of age,as is at that time when the brain is growing, but the violence hinders the early development, and kills the future.
According to Police Force report, there were 537 cases of rape in 2016 in the country, and they doubled to 1,114 in 2021.
Tanzania government,through its various organs,associations and programmes such as National Multisectoral-Early Childhood Development Project(MN-ECDP) is raising awareness education to the public to end child violence, and to report to the authorities when they heard or find sex offender(s) and other abuses to children.
Story By: By Mutayoba Arbogast
