Kaliati issues stern warning to parents against neglecting children: ‘You will be arrested’
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati has warned parents and guardians against neglecting children at the expense of child survival, protection and development.
She said government would arrest parents and guardians that would fail to provide attention, care, support and protection to children.
Kaliati said this on Tuesday in Blantyre when she visited Chileka Police Station to meet a man who defiled his own one year and 11 months daughter.
“Both the woman and man are drunkards and we are told the lady run away from home that night, we do not know under which circumstance the woman had to leave the children at home resulting into the father taking advantage of the little girl,” she explained.
Kaliati said the Child Care Protection Act has a provision which gives power to arrest and charge parents who fail to take care of their children.
“We want to give a lesson to all women who are not taking care of their children and when we arrest six or seven women I am sure people will learn something from that and Malawi will reclaim its lost glory over the issue,” the Minister added.
According to Chileka Police Station Public Relations Officer (PRO), Peter Mchiza, the man in question is believed to have defiled his daughter on Friday, October 23, 2020 after his wife run away from home after a fight.
“On Friday, October 23, 2020, Anthony Saliwa,37, from Mdala Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Machinjiri, Blantyre had a fight with his wife Nyalweni Chiumia,38, of the same village and in the process, the wife run away seeking refuge somewhere leaving the husband and their two children including a one year and eleven months old daughter,” Chileka Police PRO said.
Mchiza added that coming back the next morning, she found that their daughter had been defiled and was wounded in the private part.
He said the woman reported the matter to Chileka Police where the Police referred the victim to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) for medical examination and treatment, adding that results from the hospital indicated that the victim was indeed defiled.
“Police opened a case of incest which is contrary to section 157(1) of Penal code against the suspect who was arrested soon after the report.
“The Suspect is yet to appear before the court after completing the investigations,” Mchiza said.
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