\u201cBut whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him<\/p>\n\n\n\n
if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.\u201d \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matthew 18:6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) is deeply appalled and outraged by the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
rising cases of child defilement in our country, particularly the recent heart\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
wrenching case of a father who has been sexually abusing his biological<\/p>\n\n\n\n
daughter\u2014a young and innocent child already battling cancer. This heinous and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
inhumane act is a grave violation of children\u2019s rights, dignity, and well-being. It is<\/p>\n\n\n\n
an affront to the moral and ethical fabric of our nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a society, we cannot afford to remain silent in the face of such evil. Every child<\/p>\n\n\n\n
deserves to grow up in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment, free from all<\/p>\n\n\n\n
forms of violence and exploitation. It is unacceptable that such cases continue to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
rise, often perpetrated by individuals who should be the very protectors of these<\/p>\n\n\n\n
vulnerable children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Call for Stiffer Punishment and Government Action<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CCZ strongly urges the Government of the Republic of Zambia\u2014particularly<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary\u2014to ensure that perpetrators of child<\/p>\n\n\n\n
defilement face the harshest punishment possible under the law. The existing legal<\/p>\n\n\n\n
framework must be strengthened to deter would-be offenders and ensure swift,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
severe, and uncompromising justice for victims. We urge the government to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
consider stiffer penalties, including life sentences without parole, to reflect the<\/p>\n\n\n\n
gravity of this atrocious crime. Furthermore, we call on law enforcement agencies to expedite investigations and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ensure that justice is not only served but also seen to be served. Too often, these<\/p>\n\n\n\n
crimes go unpunished due to weak enforcement, delayed prosecution, or lack of<\/p>\n\n\n\n
resources. This must change if we are to truly protect our children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Child Protection and Community Safeguarding<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While legal action is crucial, it is not enough. The Ministry of Community<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Development and Social Services must go beyond issuing statements and take<\/p>\n\n\n\n
concrete, proactive steps to establish child protection spaces in every community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These spaces should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Provide safe havens for children at risk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Offer access to psychosocial support<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Create platforms for children and concerned citizens to report cases of<\/p>\n\n\n\n
abuse without fear of victimization<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, CCZ urges the government to enforce strong safeguarding policies<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in all institutions that handle children including schools, churches, orphanages,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and community centres to prevent and respond to abuse cases effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Call to Parents and Guardians<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We strongly urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant and proactive in<\/p>\n\n\n\n
protecting their children at all times. Parents must foster open communication<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with their children, educate them on personal safety, and ensure that they are not<\/p>\n\n\n\n
left in vulnerable situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Call to the Church and Society<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As faith-based institutions, we have a moral and spiritual duty to stand against all<\/p>\n\n\n\n
forms of violence, particularly those targeting the most vulnerable. The CCZ calls<\/p>\n\n\n\n
upon all churches and religious leaders to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Actively engage in child protection advocacy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Educate communities on the dangers of child abuse<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Establish safe reporting mechanisms for affected children<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Implement and enforce strict child protection systems and policies furthermore, we urge churches to refrain from misapplying Biblical texts to shield<\/p>\n\n\n\n
abusers from accountability. The Church must be a sanctuary of justice, not a place<\/p>\n\n\n\n
where evil is concealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We also call upon the broader community to remain vigilant in protecting children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is our collective responsibility to create safe homes, schools, and neighbourhoods<\/p>\n\n\n\n
where children can thrive without fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Council of Churches in Zambia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to<\/p>\n\n\n\n
justice, child protection, and the promotion of a society where no child suffers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
abuse in silence. We will continue to work with relevant stakeholders to demand<\/p>\n\n\n\n
accountability, strengthen child protection mechanisms and ensure justice for all<\/p>\n\n\n\n
victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We say NO to child defilement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We say NO to the silence that allows it to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We say YES to justice, child protection, and a society that truly values and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
safeguards its children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Issued on behalf of the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) by:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cBut whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[24,30],"class_list":["post-1186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-statements","tag-childrens-ministry","tag-gender-and-health-programme"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1186"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1187,"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1186\/revisions\/1187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ccz.org.zm\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}