The unfortunate triple murder of three children that took place in Rubavu should serve as a lesson to parents not to leave their children in the hands of maids and houseboys.

We reported in Thursday’s edition that Jean Damascene Manizibayo, a house boy from Rubavu strangled the children with a shoelace and hid their bodies in the ceiling after having defiled the eldest girl.

Manizibayo, is just one example of how unsuspecting parents have entrusted their kids to house helpers only to realise that they have put them in harms way.

Of late, there have been reports of kidnappings, child molests, defilement and even rape by the people we employ to watch over our children.

While the case of Manizibayo was a total extreme, let it be a wake up call for parents - children must not be left to maids and houseboys.

We live in a competitive world, where both parents have to wake up early morning to go to work and return at the end of the day, sometimes too exhausted to intensively interact with their children.

The consequences are looming.
In the era of HIV/AIDS, stories of possible affairs and malicious infections are scaring. Adolescent children may engage in sexual activities with the helper and parents are helpless to stop this, or worse still may never know until it is too late.

All in all, considering the price parents are paying for leaving the children in the hands of house helps, it is totally not worth it.

However difficult it may appear to be, the alternative of quitting your job, staying home and raising the children should be considered.

At least until they are old enough to stay home by themselves.

Ends