Story by Fungai Jachi
The alignment of the law governing the rights of children to the Constitution and International guidelines is expected to strengthen the rights of those under the age of 18 and protect them from all forms of abuse.
According to family law expert, Mr Abel Mtoma, the amendments to the Children’s Amendment Act are meant to ensure that children are protected from criminals who were taking advantage of the gaps in the previous Children’s Act.
“The old Act did not specify on what the penalty for sexually exploiting children or child marriages, but this new Act now stipulates that perpetrators will be jailed between 10 and 15 years,” he explained.
Under the new law, there is no longer any justification for failure to pay maintenance.
“So, there are areas of particular interest and these include the issue of maintenance where everyone, whether informally employed or not, should be able to provide for their children. This new law says a parent should provide for their children in every way and failure to do so, one will be liable for legal action. Any form of abuse against children is a criminal offense, which will attract a custodial sentence of 10 to 15 years.”
Another legal expert, Mr Moffat Makuvatsine added that the new law gives parents a legal obligation to take steps that prevent their children from committing crimes.
He said, “One of the major highlights of this new act is that parents will pay for the sins of their children. This will ensure that parents take an active role in ensuring their children are well disciplined and stay away from criminal enterprises. This new act is a progressive move that will protect the children but also gives a challenge to the parents.”
Government has taken a deliberate move to enact laws that protect the rights of children at a time when most were falling prey to abuse with perpetrators going unpunished.
