Some of the children with various degrees of disabilities are still facing untold anomalies to survive in life.
Some of the challenges these children are facing include child abuse, sexual harassment , discrimination, among others.
It is very worrisome that girls with disabilities like deafness, visual impairment, congenital limb deformities, just to mention a few are finding it hard to live as they are defiled by some men who take advantage of their disabilities.
These heartless men who defile girls with disabilities think that they are voiceless about their fate and that they can hardly report to relevant authorities.
Mrs Phiri whose imbecile child born with hydrocephalus, meningitis deafness and visual impairment explained the ordeal her child has gone through.
Mrs Phiri’s child, Mphatso- not her real name, said she went to the farm leaving Mphatso in her house as usual when she discovered that Mphatso’s private parts were tainted with blood and had cuts when she wanted to bath her. She had been defiled.
According to Phiri, on medical examination at queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mphatso- had indeed been defiled.
Later, the child developed incontinence due to injuries as a result of the defilement.
The ordeal immersed the child into problems as she is not responding positively to the medical treatment she is receiving.
Another woman, Mrs Banda, whose child suffers from epilepsy said, a certain unknown man had defiled her child before he wanted to kill the child by hitting her with a stone in her head to distort evidence that could be used against him in the court of law in future.
Banda said the attempt of the defiler to kill her child failed because some well -wishers who found her in a pool of blood rushed her to the hospital where she was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit ( ICU) due to her severely reduced levels of consciousness.
The doctors had also confirmed that the child was defiled and badly injured in the head that led the admission in the ICU for several weeks.
When the victim was discharged from the ICU, it was also discovered that she was injured to her private parts which required operation.
All of these have just increased degree of disability on Mrs Banda’s child that she do have intermittent altered levels of consciousness and she collapses.
The parents of both victims said they are deeply concerned that as of now both the culprits are still walking to freedom as police say they are still investigating on the matter.
Speaking to MIJ Online spokesperson for Blantyre police, Peter Mchiza said they are investigating the matter.
In her remarks, Jenipher Ngwira who is a Lecturer at the Catholic University of Malawi (CU) said government should implement laws that will protect the lives of children with disabilities.
Ngwira said it is high time that government should start giving stiffer punishments to the men who run away from their responsibilities.
Child human rights activist Memory Chisenga said they are disappointed with the delay of police to investigate the matter so that the culprits are apprehended.
On the other hand, the Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi (FEDOMA) has asked government to put in place stiff measures that will protect children with disabilities from experiencing such kind of cruelty.
However, the Minister of gender Jean Sendeza has said she will push hard the matter so that the culprits are brought to book as soon as possible.
Sendeza has promised to make a follow up on the matter- in order to assist the victims.
