Police urged to cooperate with civil society to fight defilement cases

Police urged to cooperate with civil society to fight defilement cases

Ndola, February 21, ZANIS —– Three Civil Society Organisations in Ndola have called on law enforcement agencies to work with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in dealing with cases of child defilement as they infringe on the rights of children whose welfare are also fought for by the organisations.

Hossana Mapalo Orphans and Widows Care Centre Project Manager Patrick Mnthanga said this in an interview with ZANIS in Ndola on behalf of Samaritan Strategy Foundation of Zambia and Vulnerable Children Advocacy Project.

Mr Mnthanga said the three organisations were happy that the police had taken the case of defilement involving a man of Ndola that staled but after the intervention of the three NGOs the case was on course in the courts of law.

Mr Mnthanga said the NGOs wanted to safeguard the lives of children and called on the public to ensure that cases of defilement were reported to relevant authorities.

He cautioned the public not to treat cases of defilement as family matters but criminal that should be given the relevance they deserved.

Mr Mnthanga said cases of defilement were not a battle for the families alone but the general public that needed to be dealt with urgency and seriousness they deserved.

He added that the courts should expedite the cases of defilement to deter would be offenders from committing such offences.

Mr Mnthanga said NGOs would want to see a zero rate record of child defilement cases saying this would be attained with the help of the public and the police.