Domestic violence on the increase
Domestic violence cases are on an alarming increase in the country, and especially in the Ross Road police station. Among the cases that are common are beatings, and child maintenance in the cases of separated partners. In an interview with Woman’s Line Manger Mrs. Mary Macauley at the Ross Road Police Division, she expressed concern over the alarming rate at which domestic crimes, sexual offences, and child maintenance are on the increase.
According to the line manger child adoption cases reported at the Ross Road Police station amount to 75 in two months, wife battery 70, and men asking their legally wedded wives out of their matrimonial homes while replacing them with their lovers while abandoning their children to suffer. These are the most common cases reported in January and February respectively.
Mr. Samuel Trye, social worker in the Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children Affairs noted that the rate of rape cases has decreased as a result of aggressive community sensitization which has been achieved thanks to active and robust police activities across the country.
Notwithstanding this new approach from the police and the community, however, there is an alarming increase in family members residing in the city adopting children of their relatives on the pretext of educating them but instead using the kids as child laborers which contradict the Child Rights Act.
The Social Worker further explained how the matter of partners divorcing with children is handled with the ministry, and further noted that husbands who are civil servants are asked by the ministry to provide Le 85,000 monthly, with toiletries, excluding school fees as well as medical, housing and other facilities including the provision of clothing.
In the case of pregnant women, husbands are obliged to provide the sum of Le150,000 monthly.
In accordance with the Child Act, a parent or any other person who is legally liable to maintain a child as a guardian must contribute towards the maintenance of the child’s maintenance and is under the obligation to support the provision of education and reasonable shelter for the child, this is stated in Section 96 of the Child Rights Act. According to this act, a maintenance order made by the Courts shall only expire when the child attains the age of eighteen years or dies before that age.
According to Section 94, a family court may award maintenance to the mother of a child whether marriage to the father or not where the father has been identified as the parent.
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