THE 62-year-old man who defiled two children of the same village must be found and caged immediately. It is shocking that a man of that age could stoop that low.
It is disgusting that a senior member of the community who is expected to look after and protect children young enough to be his grandchildren is the beats that turned on them.
The sexual abuse of the children was barbaric looking at their ages. He should be found wherever he is hiding and punished so that he learns to behave like a mature adult.
We should not allow such malcontents to remain in our midst.
The old man of Chikoloka Village in Chief Mlolo’s area of Chadiza district has gone into hiding after he allegedly defiled two girls aged between aged eight and 11 years.
Eastern Province Commissioner of Police Lackson Sakala said the two cases of defilement were reported on Monday this week by parents of the victims at Chadiza Police Station.
In an interview, Mr Sakala told the Sun that police in Chadiza district had launched a manhunt for the old man who is currently on the run after having defiled two juveniles of the same village.
“Police in Chadiza district have launched a manhunt for a 62-year-old man of Chikoloka Village in Chief Mlolo’s area for defiling two minors aged eight and 11 years on Monday between 12 to 15 hours,” Mr Sakala said.
He said according to a medical report obtained from Chadiza District Hospital, the two victims sustained painful bruises on their private parts.
He further appealed to members of the public with information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect to report to the nearest police station so that he could be apprehended and charged for defilement.
Mr Sakala urged members of the public who might have the information leading to the arrest of the suspect to inform the police.
To add our voice we also urge the old man to own up and surrender to the police. He knew the consequences of what he was doing and must be ready to face them.
At his age he should have known that he was destroying the lives of the children he was sexually abusing. We urge parents and members of the communities to always be on the lookout for such wicked men who will see nothing else in a female child but a sexual partner to prey on.
No wonder the cases of defilement have not shown any signs of coming down.
In November last year the Zambia Daily Mail reported that 1,000 cases of child defilement had been recorded in the eight months.
Such statistics should worry not only parents with girl-children but society as a whole. Who is going to protect the children from predators always lurking in the shadows?
According to statistics, 583 cases of child defilement were recorded in the second quarter of 2019.
Of the 583 victims, 573 were female while the males were 10.
The highest cases were recorded in Lusaka at 250, followed by Central Province, which had 81 cases, while Luapula recorded eight, the lowest.
In the third quarter, the Victim Support Unit released the latest gender-based violence report which showed that defilement cases rose from 573 last quarter to 773 cases.
Of the 773 cases, 770 victims were girls while the rest were boys.
The province with the highest child defilement statistics was Lusaka with 353 followed by Central Province, which had 97 cases.
We should all do whatever we can to sensitise society on the dangers of defilement and its impact on the lives of the victims.
Parents should always be wary and keep an eye on their girl-children. No man should be trusted with a female child because in many cases the perpetrators are close family members.
In villages members of the communities should closely watch old men living alone or are single because they are potential child molesters. Outward humility should not fool anyone as some of the men who have been arrested for defilement have been the most trusted and respected in their communities.
We urge the police in Chadiza to work with neighbourhood watch teams and traditionsl leaders to hunt down the 62-year-old defiler.
