Child abuse: UNICEF wants govt to strengthen probation officers to curb vice

The Government has been asked to strengthen offices and services of district welfare and probation officers because they are critical in curbing child abuse and neglect in local communities.

The call was made as part of the 16 days of activism by Ms. Harriet Akullo, a child protection specialist at UNICEF Harriet Akulo, during a public dialogue recently at Makerere University.

The dialogue was based on a book titled Child Abuse and Neglect in Uganda, published by Dr David Kaawa-Mafigiri and Associate Professor Eddy Joshua Walakira, both from the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, of Makerere University.

The book is aimed at contributing to the growing literature on the complex issue of child maltreatment in Uganda, particularly child sacrifice and female genital mutilation.

Akullo said currently, district probation offices are understaffed, while some do not have qualified social workers to deal with child abuse cases in time.

"You realise that it is the same police officer responding to a case of child marriage, genital mutilation and child neglect," Akullo said.

She added that building stronger systems at local government level to take into account the importance of welfare and probation officers at district level by government will help protect children against abuse.

She said the issue of child sacrifice can only be effectively fought using a strong database.

"The information is important for policy formulation and action. At UNICEF, we are wondering whether child sacrifice is a cultural practice, or being promoted by a bunch of desperate, selfish people. This is why it is important to have correct data," she added.

Prof. Ronald Luwangula from the department of Social Work and Social Administration, who added that at community level, there are no social workers.

Luwangula, who is one of the authors of Chapter 9 of the book, which talks about child abuse in form of child sacrifice, explained that child sacrifice has no boundaries; it can take place in urban centres and villages.

"In Urban areas, children can be snatched while going to school, from their residence and at school, while in villages, they could be found home alone, fetching water, on their way from school or while grazing animals ," Luwangula added.

Why children are the target
Luwangula explained that children are sacrificed due to various reasons. He said because children are thought to be pure, some people are convinced that their misfortunes can be addressed through child sacrifice.

"Compared to adults, children are more vulnerable, hence the need for an open discussion on how child sacrifice in Uganda can be addressed," he added.

Luwangula says those who commit the crimes have been emboldened because many times they are set free after arrest.