09/04/2024
Juvenile lawbreakers worry magistrate
INCIDENTS of juveniles engaging in law breaking such as assault is on the rise with a magistrate urging parents to take charge of their young children to prevent raising villains.
A child welfare inspector told Lusaka Magistrate Exildah Nsunge-Chanda on Friday that the number of cases involving children engaging in fights are sadly on the raise.
"Its disheartening that cases of children involving themselves in fights in the country have become rampant," Susan Chilumba, a child welfare inspector, said.
Ms Chilumba was appearing before the magistrate to give social welfare reports and recommendations for several child offenders facing criminal charges.
One of reports she gave involved two teenagers accused of punching ,kicking and hitting a man with an axe and threatening to burn his shop.
Another report was about a child who assaulted a victim with a plank and stone in the head.
When passing her orders for the child offenders to undergo counselling, magistrate Chanda also counselled the remorseful male juvenile offenders' parents.
The adjudicator was especially concerned that one of the mothers was unaware which school her child goes to.
"Parents, it's your duty to watch over these children. Take an interest to know what is happening to your children. Some parents don't even know where their children are at night, which school they go to and who they play with," magistrate Chanda said.
She further notes that adolescents are intrinsically explorative and need to be nurtured before they join bad company.
"If you fail to guide these children, they will turn against you and kill you, [also] encourage your children to go to church, they will learn some morals there," she added .
Ends.
ZDML
