News / National
Bulawayo records upsurge in juvenile crimes
27 Jun 2016 at 06:51hrs | Views
BULAWAYO has recorded an upsurge in violent crimes involving juveniles with sexual offences dominating, an official has said. In May this year, juvenile criminal cases heard before the magistrate courts at Tredgold shot up by 266 percent from 9 in April to 24. Of the 24 cases, 20 involved sexual offences which include rape and aggravated indecent assault.
Mrs Patience Moyo from Justice for Children Trust said a worrying trend in which courts are being inundated with crimes committed by children is emerging.
"We bemoan the increase of juvenile delinquency in the city and it's worrying that most of these crimes are of a sexual nature. About three quarters of the clients we've been representing in these crimes are aged between 13 and 17 while most victims are aged below 10," she said.
"In the past, the major push factor for juvenile crimes was poverty but nowadays it's family disintegration. Most of our clients are from disintegrated and child-headed families where they've no one to monitor their behaviour".
Mrs Moyo said peer pressure played a big role in juvenile crime as most parents relegate the role of teaching their children to maids or relatives.
She said without parental guidance, children easily become influenced by playmates and other people. "I admit that juveniles have of late been committing terrible crimes but justice is about balancing their interests and that of the communities they come from. A lot needs to be done to prevent such delinquencies and address the root causes."
Mrs Moyo suggested that the situation required a combined effort from both children and parents through educational programmes. Mr Continueloving Mhlanga, a social commentator, said individualism - a lifestyle that is alien to Africa - was the major cause of juvenile crimes in the city.
"We will not be able to solve that social problem without first dealing with the major causes of family integration. There's a lot of individualism in our communities as if we're whites and that's slowly suffocating our norms and way of life," said Mr Mhlanga.
"We're seeing a growing trend of communities made up of people who come from different places and backgrounds and eventually living as strangers to each other. People no longer have a sense of Ubuntu/Unhu thus we're comfortable with minding our business. No one cares what their neighbour's children are up to and that heavily impacts on how children are moulded."
He also said economic challenges forced many parents to leave the country in search of greener pastures and this has exposed shepherdless youths to adopt immoral behaviour.
"As the economic situation worsens, people continue spreading out instead of moving in and families disintegrate. We need to work towards reviving our economy and bring back our people who have left us in search of better lives in foreign countries," said Mr Mhlanga.
Recently, a 14-year-old boy from Luveve suburb was arraigned for sodomising his three friends. The boy, who stays with his grandmother, admitted to perpetrating the sexual violence blaming it on p.ornographic material which he said a maid showed him.
Mrs Patience Moyo from Justice for Children Trust said a worrying trend in which courts are being inundated with crimes committed by children is emerging.
"We bemoan the increase of juvenile delinquency in the city and it's worrying that most of these crimes are of a sexual nature. About three quarters of the clients we've been representing in these crimes are aged between 13 and 17 while most victims are aged below 10," she said.
"In the past, the major push factor for juvenile crimes was poverty but nowadays it's family disintegration. Most of our clients are from disintegrated and child-headed families where they've no one to monitor their behaviour".
Mrs Moyo said peer pressure played a big role in juvenile crime as most parents relegate the role of teaching their children to maids or relatives.
She said without parental guidance, children easily become influenced by playmates and other people. "I admit that juveniles have of late been committing terrible crimes but justice is about balancing their interests and that of the communities they come from. A lot needs to be done to prevent such delinquencies and address the root causes."
"We will not be able to solve that social problem without first dealing with the major causes of family integration. There's a lot of individualism in our communities as if we're whites and that's slowly suffocating our norms and way of life," said Mr Mhlanga.
"We're seeing a growing trend of communities made up of people who come from different places and backgrounds and eventually living as strangers to each other. People no longer have a sense of Ubuntu/Unhu thus we're comfortable with minding our business. No one cares what their neighbour's children are up to and that heavily impacts on how children are moulded."
He also said economic challenges forced many parents to leave the country in search of greener pastures and this has exposed shepherdless youths to adopt immoral behaviour.
"As the economic situation worsens, people continue spreading out instead of moving in and families disintegrate. We need to work towards reviving our economy and bring back our people who have left us in search of better lives in foreign countries," said Mr Mhlanga.
Recently, a 14-year-old boy from Luveve suburb was arraigned for sodomising his three friends. The boy, who stays with his grandmother, admitted to perpetrating the sexual violence blaming it on p.ornographic material which he said a maid showed him.
Source - chronicle
