04/26/2006
GRANTS
WECHE MOKADHO
;
kca-info] STOP Statement for April 26th Kisumu Campaign
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The character of a nation is judged on how serious and passionate we
are in protecting the safety, integrity and innocence of our children.
Today's event is one that breaks even the hardest of hearts. Girls
and boys too young to understand cruelty when it hides itself in a
promise of a soda and biscuit have brought us here.
Most of all, some real life stories have culminated in this day.
Stories of 19 girls, some orphans, who have been sexually molested by
one man, a father figure, a teacher, a leader in their innocent eyes….
Over the last few months, media houses have heightened reports on
child sexual abuses. The Kenyan Community Abroad (KCA) has responded
to these reports by forming the STOP Campaign, whose aim is to shield
our children from child sexual molesters.
The STOP Campaign plans to fight child sexual molestation through
education, public awareness, victim treatment and support and
legislature and law enforcement.
EDUCATION
Child sexual abusers are not limited to men. They come in all
shapes, sizes, color and they are both men and women. These criminals
attack innocent girls and boys by misusing the power bestowed on them,
are deviant and society's misfits.
It is surprising that public institutions and worship centers have
not embraced the need to offer comprehensive education and
instructions about child sexual molestation and how to shield our
children from this crime. The STOP campaign realizes that the best and
basic shield is education and awareness.
Thus, the STOP Campaign has developed an education and information
packet. We plan to distribute the 20-page document to every school
child in the country, and hope that the document will become a
reference document in every household.
In addition, the STOP Campaign in collaboration with high school and
colleges plans to offer seminars in high schools and colleges. The
seminars will include topics such as how to identify child molesters,
how avoid becoming a victim, how to report a known child molesters,
among others.
Again we are persuaded beyond a doubt that education is the first
line of defense in shielding our children from this evil.
We lobby the Ministry of Education and other legislature to include
this subject in the school curricular from standard one through high
school, including policy on how teachers should handled sexual
molestation cases by teachers. We are for example concerned that
convicted child molesters are still in the Teachers Service Commission.
PUBLIC AWARENESS
On the subject of public awareness, we hear that it is taboo in
Kenya to talk about child sexual molestation.
But we are surprised and disturbed that it doesn't seem to be an
abomination to live with molested children and do nothing about it.
As a result, most child victims are repeat victims, and their
predators are trusted relatives and guardians such as teachers,
fathers, uncles, aunts, and close family friends. We have heard of
cases where relatives and village barazas urge the victim not to
report the crime because it will bring "aibu" to the family. We have
heard of head teachers protecting teachers against prosecution.
The STOP Campaign wants to emphasis that it is fallacious to claim
that in African culture it is a taboo to bring out and punish child
molesters. That is a lie and those behind it are liars who must be
brought to shame for corrupting our culture and abrogating the true
African culture of keeping our children safe and pure.
Ukweli ni kwamba, our culture requires and demands that we must not
ever protect a man or woman who defiles a child. That is the true
African culture. A mother who knows of a father or relative involved
in incestuous relationship and does not report the matter to law
enforcement is in direct violation of African law, laws of nature and
laws of God.
The STOP campaign is determined to do whatever it takes to bring
public awareness about this evil and to get children, parents and
adults to publicly talk about this subjective.
For the biggest shame and taboo is in shying aware from a subject
matter that is within us and hurting us and compromising the safety
and purity of our children.
LEGISLATURES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
KCA-STOP Campaign intends to ensure that laws against child sexual
molestation are strict to match the crime.
The attorney general must be pressured to issue mandatory sentencing
guidelines to judges and magistrates. And after release from prison,
we must have a national registry of
child sexual molesters so that neighbors can find out about them and
shield their children from them, as well as ensure that they don't
work in child-related occupations.
The Stop Campaign also intends to lobby members of parliament (MPs)
to ensure that protection of child sexual molesters is criminalized.
It is about time we made it a crime
when an adult who is charged with the duty of protecting a child
knows that the child is being violated and fails to take appropriate
steps to protect the child for whatever reason.
We don't buy the excuse that a mother is afraid of reporting her
husband. Sometimes, fear is not an excuse. Sometimes, we must find the
courage to conquer fear. Sometimes, we have no options but to do the
right thing and stand in the gap between evil and our children.
We are proud of the Ndungu Sexual Offences Bill. But this should be
the beginning. We hope our legislators will keep improving on
legislation in this area.
Regarding law enforcement, police must be given clear guidelines on
how to investigate child sexual molestation. And there should be zero
tolerance and no taking changes. Our position is that all cases must
be investigating. Any person under investigation must be given
automatic restraining orders to stay away from children when and if
there is reason to believe that the case under investigation is credible.
VICTIM TREATMENT AND SUPPORT
KCA-STOP will work with the hospitals to ensure that victims of
child sexual molestation are given top quality treatment and priority
in ensuring they undergo any medical procedures and including
counseling without the worry of finances.
STOP will not rest until these victims have healed. And healing does
not take six months, it can take years but it can happen and STOP will
make it happen for them.
In conclusion, the KCA-STOP Campaign takes this opportunity to thank
all our supporters who have rallied behind us from giving words of
caution, passing on information to challenging fellow Kenyans to join
in the fight.
We also recognize that somewhere there are victims of child sexual
molestation who heave a sigh when they hear about the Campaign. We
hear in their silence their plea for a voice when they do not have the
physical or emotional strength. That voice is the STOP Campaign.
We thank our partners especially Reach Out. This Kisumu-based
organization led by Hezekiah Nyaranga (the 2005 KCA award of
excellence recipient) has been pivotal in reaching out to local
leaders in education, law enforcement, among others and the community
in general by challenging them to address this crime.
We also thank FIDA Kenya and especially the Kisumu office for their
willingness to take on this case and bring justice to 19 girls. With
your reputation, we are honored you stand with us today.
By Carolyne Kimiti, Director
Silence, Theft, Oppression, Persecution (STOP)
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The Kenyan Community Abroad (KCA), P.O. Box 5635,
Washington, D.C. 20016-5635, USA; info@kenyansabroad.org;
Telephone: (301) 622-0423; Fax:(301) 622-0423;
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