Minister of GenderJean Sendeza says she is not pleaded with punishments meted out to perpetrators of gender based violence and wants to meet the Chief Justice Rezine Mzikamanda to see how best courts can help.
She said women, girls and children continue to face gender based violence because of lenient punishments from the courts.
This comes as the country continues to register cases of GBV and abuse.
Justice Rizine Mzikamanda
Sendeza said her ministry is not pleased to see such perpetrators walking free after causing harm to women, girls and children.
She cited the recent GBV case that took place in Nsanje where two girls had their hands burnt for stealing green maize.
Child Rights Activist Desmond Mhango commended the ministry for the move.
He says they share the view that the courts are now becoming a stumbling block to ending GBV among children.
A court in Thyolo fined a woman K400,000 for severely burning hands of two young girls whom she accused of stealing three green maize cobs in her garden in Nsanje three weeks ago Thyolo First Grade Magistrate, Kondani Chinangwa ordered, Pilirian Damiano, 35 to pay the fine for taking the law into her own hands.
Thyolo police prosecutor, Sub-Inspector Felix Senzani, told the court that Damiano from Mathias Village, Traditional Authority Mlolo, caused grievous harm contrary to Section 235 of the Penal Code.
In mitigation, Damiano asked for a suspended sentence on grounds that she has a child who is less than a year old and another, aged 10, who would suffer once imprisoned.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Chinangwa has ordered the offender to pay K100,000 each of the two girls aged 12 and 14.
