Rutendo Chirume
MASVINGO-The Police has raised concern over a growing trend in which adolescent girls protect perpetrators of sexual abuse and child marriages by claiming they were in consensual relationships, a development authorities say is undermining efforts to bring offenders to justice.
Speaking during a community awareness campaign in Masvingo Province last week, the national coordinator of the Victim Friendly Unit, Assistant Commissioner Dr Matilda Singende, said police continue to encounter cases where young girls defend suspects after arrests have been made or court proceedings have commenced.
Dr Singende said some victims insist that they were in love with the accused persons and had consented to the relationships, despite being below the legal age of consent.
“We are concerned that some young girls are protecting perpetrators by saying they love them and that the relationship was consensual. In many cases, this happens when the matter has already reached the police or the courts,” she said.
She explained that under Zimbabwean law, children cannot legally consent to sexual relationships with adults, making such conduct a criminal offence regardless of the victim’s claims.
Dr Singende said the situation has become a challenge in efforts to curb child marriages and sexual abuse involving minors.
She further noted that some girls misrepresent their ages, leading older men to enter relationships with them, which later result in cases of sexual abuse and child marriage.
“Some children lie about their age and present themselves as adults. However, this does not change the law or the fact that they are still minors who require protection,” she said.
The Victim Friendly Unit coordinator urged parents, guardians, schools and communities to educate children about the dangers of early sexual relationships and child marriages.
She said awareness programmes being conducted across the country are aimed at helping young people understand their rights and the long-term consequences of relationships that expose them to abuse, exploitation and school dropouts.
Dr Singende also encouraged community members to report suspected cases of child abuse and child marriages to the police, stressing that protecting children requires collective action.
