Revealed: At least 50 Arusha children get molested by relatives

Arusha. Nearly 50 school children have been molested by close relatives in Arusha, it has been revealed.

Gender and Children Desk head at the Arusha Central Police Station Happyness Temu said on Thursday that the culprits in the acts include male parents, brothers, uncles and cousins.

“The victims are not only little girls. We have quite a good number of small boys being abused. And when it is parents or close relatives doing these things to minors, then the children have no one to report to,” Ms Temu said.

She made the shocking revelations when she visited some of the Arusha primary schools.

The involvement of close relatives in sexual abuse of children has complicated pursuing justice for the children, she adds.

“Witnesses hesitate to come forward because they fear repercussions which include being ostracized by communities for ‘disclosing’ family matters. This makes it very difficult to get convictions,” Ms Temu said.

Children’s Rights Club chairman Jackson Mutalemwa of Sombetini Primary School said most of the cases they received were those of repeated abuse mainly because children feared revealing that they have been abused by close relatives.

“We created rights clubs in schools specifically in order to help children feel comfortable enough to share their plight with us. We have, however, experienced a huge lack of trust. They only speak when it has become too much,” Mr Mutalemwa said.