Child protection campaign taken to Karongi

The mobile police station van extended its services to the people of Rebengera Sector, Karongi District yesterday, where police officers engaged thousands of residents in a campaign against child abuse and human trafficking. The mobile van acquired about two years ago, supplements and reaches out to people residing far from police stations, who wish to report injustices. Speaking to the residents, Inspector of Police, Vivian Umulisa from the Rwanda National Police anti-gender based violence directorate, dwelt much on the rights of children and challenges they face. “A child’s rights start from the onset of pregnancy; this is why even abortion is a criminal act and punishable by the law, terminating the pregnancy is denying the fetus a right to live,” IP Umulisa said. “Children have a right to life, education, clothes and protection from anything harmful including hard labour,” IP Umulisa said. She reminded them that corporal punishment as a form of disciplining a child is also punishable by the law. ‘‘Inflicting severe suffering on a child, harassing or imposing severe punishments on them attracts a jail term of up to two years under article 218 of the Penal Code,’’ she said. She further urged residents to utilise the 116 child-helpline to report child abuses. Chief Inspector of Police, Hubert Rutaro’s remarks focused on the emerging security threat of human trafficking, noting that traffickers take advantage of the vulnerability of their targeted people. According to Rutaro, deceit is the most used trick in human trafficking targeting the youth, promising better offers and brainwashing them with their ploys not to inform anyone about the offer. During the tour of the mobile police van, one resident, Abdullah Kanani, filed a case about his child, who was lured out of school by another person and instead took him to Kigali for unspecified job. Most of the cases filed at the mobile police station van, however, were civil in nature and were channeled to concerned entities including community mediators. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Child protection campaign taken to Karongi