Venaani condemns sexual exploitation of boy

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani has condemned a woman’s alleged sexual exploitation of a boy (6).

This after a woman (44) was arrested in Otjomuise in Windhoek on Monday for allegedly leading a boy into a toilet with the promise of N$5 to perform sexual acts.

In a media statement on Monday, Venaani said the incident goes to the very core of the ethics of the Namibian nation.

He emphasised that the “despicable” act should remind every Namibian of their duty to shield children from any form of harm.

“Children are the lifespring of our society, the torchbearers of tomorrow. To desecrate their vulnerability by exposing them to such deplorable behaviour is to undermine the foundations of the world we hope to bequeath to them,” he said.

He highlighted that it takes a village to raise a child and this incident should remind every Namibian that the protection of children is not only a task for a few, but a job for everyone.

“Crimes against children are not only offences against individuals, but also acts of defiance against our shared value system.”

Venaani said the Child Care and Protection Act 3 of 2015 is intended to safeguard children’s rights against abuse, neglect and other hardships.

“We acknowledge and sincerely respect the rights of children to grow in environments free from physical and psychological abuse, and therefore unequivocally denounce all acts that jeopardise their safety and well-being,” he said.

Venaani called on the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Child Welfare to intensify measures to eradicate acts of violence against children.

“By safeguarding the rights of our children, we are inevitably strengthening the integrity of our society and the future of our country.”

Venaani further called for more powerful programmes to be implemented to provide children with avenues to report harm and abuse, as well as to ensure the swift prosecution of perpetrators.

“We must uphold the principle that every child has the fundamental right to feel safe, loved and protected. In upsetting times such as these, it behooves us all, as members of not only Namibia but the human family at large, to stand firm against any form of child abuse. We owe it to our children, and indeed, to ourselves,” he said.