LAST week, I came across a story in which a nine-year-old boy was sexually assaulted by a male juvenile in Mbala District.
This little boy was playing soccer with a group of friends when the teen-aged suspect lured him from his friends and sodomised him about 30 metres from the soccer pitch. According to information gleaned from Police, the little boy went home crying and told his parents what had happened to him.
The forced penetration on his rearend left him with tears on his anus. I can only imagine the anguish the parents felt after their child told them what had happened to him.
Every parent that has daughter(s) lives in fear of sexual predators that prey on young children who are in local lingo, otherwise known as defilers. Some women have been known to say they would rather have a baby boy than a girl because of the prevalence of defilement cases.
But as the above case proves – forget the gender – no child is safe in today’s world.
Every parent needs to talk to their child about sex crimes. If there is a known or suspected sex offender in your neighbourhood sit your children down and give ground rules on how they should treat such a person.
Explain that this person (whoever he may be) has hurt children (if that is the case) and that they should stay away from him, his house, and his car.
Emphasise that they should not have anything to do with this man – that includes even talking to him – and that if he approaches them for any reason they do not have to be polite. Instead they should run away and tell you or another trusted adult immediately. You can also give your children general, age-appropriate advice on how to stay safer.
Once your child starts school (around four or five) explain what constitutes their private parts and that if someone tries to touch them, they should scream and run away — no matter who it is.
Emphasise that if this happens it’s never a secret (no matter what the person says or threatens to do) and they should tell you or another trusted adult.
Tell young children that if a grown-up (even someone they know well) offers to share anything with them like sweets or toys they need to check with you first.
A man in the 60s was convicted by a Kasama High Court for defilement and he used mangoes to lure two girls below the age of 10 into his room and defiled them.
Teach older children, starting at around seven or eight, how a potentially dangerous situation might unfold. Explain that no adult should ever tell them an explicit joke, show them explicit pictures, or encourage them to keep secrets of any kind from you.
Warn kids about “authority tricks.” Say that if someone claiming to be a Police officer tells them to get into a car, they should first ask your permission. Explain that they will not get into trouble by doing this and that, no real policeman would take a child anywhere without having that child ask their parents first. Remember, sex offenders know every trick in the book. They even threaten death.
Teach teenagers to trust their instincts about a person or situation and to get away as soon as they sense something isn’t right. Tell them not to worry about being rude and that if they go with their sixth sense, you will always support them.
The sad fact is that statistically the greatest danger to kids comes from adults they already know. So it’s a good idea to use your discretion to check out any adults with access to your kids who you may otherwise trust with your children.
These include home support staff like maids and garderners, taxi drivers that pick your kids from school, etc. Do a background check from the ‘kombonis’ they reside in and ask for references before allowing your child to spend time with them. Remember, there is no such thing as being too safe.
I sourced of the tips above from www.nsopr.gov,  which is a national sex offender public website and which I encourage every parent to visit. It is a public safety resource that provides the public with access to sex offender data and has tonnes of helpful material.
For comments and contributions email norma.siame@gmail.com