{Police in Nyabihu District has urged mothers to take a lead in advancing children’s rights. The call was made during a meeting with about 20 single mothers held on January 5 in Mukamira Sector.}
While addressing the mothers, the District Community Liaison officer, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Marie Rose Uwizera, requested for stronger partnership between police and the parents to promote and protect the rights of children.
She explained to them that a child has a right to live, acquire education, good health, shelter, and clothing among others.
“Children must be protected as from any form of discrimination since it could affect their mental growth…you need to as well keep a close eye on your children to protect them from human traffickers, and guide them by listening to them,” AIP Uwizera told the parents.
She went on to add that there are parents who give corporal punishments to their children thinking it’s one way of disciplining them, and told them that this kind of disciplining is an offence punishable by the law.
“ other crimes a against a child include; verbal assault , child labor, defilement and denying them a right to go to school. We must therefore treat each child in society very well; every respectable mother should be eyes and ears of lawfulness in society by immediately reporting cases of child abuse to police. Through quick response, we can protect the children and ensure their rights are observed,” said Uwizera.
One of the attendants Confiance Nyiramahirwe thanked the police for the awareness campaign saying that sometimes parents commit mistakes not knowing, thus committing a crime unknowingly.
The campaign came days after a similar one was held in Komonyi district where the District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police (SP) Donath Kinani, called upon mothers to take the lead in ensuring maximum respect of children’s rights.
In October, 2015 RNP in partnership with World Vision Rwanda unveiled a ‘Child Helpline’ facility to easy the communication and response to child-related abuses.
The Child Helpline uses a short code toll-free line– 116 – and operates at the police’s Call Centre in Kacyiru. It has the capacity to receive at least 30 calls simultaneously.
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