Is Africa tough on paedophilia?

If there was a law against paedophiles in Nigeria,then the case of a Nigerian governor that got married to a 13year old girl from Egypt should be r-visited.However, we are talking about a country where it is lawful to be unlawful.

Laws or no laws pedophilia is a social vice that needs to be tackled. However, in seeking long term solutions to the behavior we need to reflect on likely causes. I am not cocncluding the behavior may never have been there in traditional society, but because of the strong kinship and peer or age group banding, the society was able know who is who in the society.
Our legal structure today based on territorial integrity and individualism makes it hard for even a family to understand its own after they leave the nest. Nonetheless, we need to get work on restorative justice rather then retributive. Our oneness, common good and social responsibility are virtues of shared responsibility of any society and we have to care for one another.

Are there laws in your country that punish paedophiles? YES
If so, do you think they are tough enough? NO, unless they manage to lock them up for life
Do we even recognise the existence of paedophilia? Yes, Africans are not stupid
How can young children in your country be better protected against paedophiles?
bring them up like wetern kids and tell them not to talk to strangers, only, in Africa, talking to one another is part of everyday life.

Lock those criminals up and throw away the key. Make their cases public for EVERYBODY in the community to know about it, but keep the victims identity a secret. That will make those criminals realize that their crimes will not go unpunished. Educate the people and advise that they can and should report any incident of child abuse without fear.

I've witnessed too much in the way of paedophile activities in W.Africa. Particularly 'tourist' paedophilia and resident expats who will pay the local authorities to keep quiet.

What can be done? I believe it needs to start at the top, stop the bribery to the local authorities, but this is easier said than done. If the local authorities were paid as they are due then maybe there would be more incentive to respect the law and enforce it.

It's a sad state of affairs that needs capping through justice. But in reality I am afraid it could get worse and go underground ... in certain nations people turn a blind eye, it's not right.

I am involved in the protection of children, mostly street &[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]; trafficked children ... who are the most vunerable to this trade. They realise that they can earn more to allow them to have a better life through this despicable behaviour. The last trafficked child I was involved with luckily hasn't got any major diseases but aged 12 she's been subjected to too much! How many of them out there are being exposed to STI's &; worse??

I'd love to find a solution, it's not going to stop overnight! But with more exposure maybe more people will try to help!

It's much easier to deal the odd deranged individual who engages in this kind of thing. The main problem lies with those, like in northern Nigeria, to whom such abhorrent conduct is a "cultural" practice. How can you punish (and thus deter) such behaviour when it is literally encouraged by the very society to whom it should be an abhorrent act?

I dont think that Africa is not tough on paedophilia,simply because it has always been part of the African tradition of older men getting married to girls as young as as their grand children.

Unfortunately, there is little or no laws on the books in may African countries or developing countries to punish paedophillias.
I was reading an article on this website the other day, on how foreigners are flocking to Brazil improvished towns where girls as young as 13 year are working as prostitutes. I think the punishment for foreigners coming into the country to take advantage of these children should be double that of the local people in order to teach these foreigners a big lesson. It is sad to say that many behaviors that used to be taboos or frowned upon by Africans, but common and accepted in the Western world are now becoming pervasive in Africa. Africa should keep the best of its culture only embrace the best of the Western world.

It's not just Africa that has problems with child sex abuse. Even in Australia &[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]; England there's little to no punishment, courts are more concerned with the 'rights' of the sex offenders than the wellbeing and justice for the victim, self justice is punished. Offenders are let back into society to live near schools. So no, my country nor any other is doing 'enough' more needs to be done, i say chemical castration & in some cases the dealth penalty solves the problem and its punishment! But no it breaches their 'human rights'. Let's have none of this 'probation and bail', it's just too expensive! Name one country that actually does something about child sex abuse, because i can't think of one!!!!

dear bbc,sexual abuse in africa is a serious problem,more especialy in my country liberia,i think the authories need to do something,to stop these urgaly behaviour,by getting down hard on the pepertrators, when ever you commit such a an offence your punishement should be more and more seveier,because,that child can be effected by the deases called HIV

Yes we actually do in my own country Nigeria, but the truth is that even those who are suppose to enforce the law are corrupt and so most of these offenders do go scot free,by buying thier way. Young children should be taught and encouraged to wear moderate cloths not by wearing tight and micro mini shirts,tops, sleeveless top or topless cloths which will attract most men to be tempted.Furthermore, parents should always watch the movement of their wards from time to time to prevent such acts.

European governments or their representatives in Africa also need to do something about the hundreds of middle aged European men who go to Africa to sleep with teenaged girls. It is illegal, but also racist because they wouldn't try do the same to white European girls.

No country does enough to address this problem. Offenders are often "treated" and called "rehabilitated" or "controlled". Then they are released to prey on other children. People who molest children cannot be changed. This is difficult for many in society (any society) to accept. They pose an ever-present danger. A society either accepts that some of it's most vulnerable members will be preyed upon, their lives forever blighted, or will have to make the difficult decision to remove paedophiles from society permanently, by execution perhaps, or life imprisonment with no possibilty of parole. Execution would be more economical and certain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I worked in Kenya for about three months. What I found was that there really isn't anyone to enforce laws. The people who do enforce laws are easily bribed and if they do do anything it takes months for anything to happen. I worked with children and women who were consistantly abused and there wasn't anything that could be done. If you tried to confront anyone, that would shame the community. It's all so fragile. There is so much poverty and corruptio... it's sad that money is more important than keeping children safe from abuse, especially abuse that is a root cause of many public health issues.

No! They aren't doing jack to persecute these monsters! I can tell you for a fact that over 70% of children in Nigeria have been molested in one way or the other by peadophiles(who are sadly enough not strangers, but people who have been entrusted with the well-being of these children), only 5% would be caught and even less would be taken to court. I think that society enables these situation. Parents would try and make the issue private so as to avoid embarrasment (sometimes slowly coming to resent the child), people turn a blind eye to such situations fooling themselves that it is not their business (not realizing that the same thing could potentially be happening to their own children).
Also people have this annoying excuse that the child going to "do it anyway', so what is the big deal. what kind of B/S excuse is that? Children NEVER forget incidents like this, it affects their self-esteem and unless they get some proper counselling and support, they would find it hard to form and maintain any proper relationships,take it from someone who knows. Another thing is that people who were abused might later on go on to abuse other people and children ( and as kids too), lets not even get to talking about STDs and AIDs.
I hope our leaders are listening and do something about this fast, its becoming quite an epidemic. Hope it doesn't have to get to the point that we tell them that their own children are victims of this phenomena because they are, it is a problem that knows no social class. But in a country where old men are allowed to marry girls as young as 10, what do expect?

Also dressing isn't really going to make a difference, haven`t you heard of fully covered people being raped and are you saying that infants that get molested as young as one or two provoked it with their dressing? NO, the only thing that permits this to happen is the working of a SICK mind and the society that enables it to happen. Poland (or some other European country) would soon begin to chemically castrate convicted paedophiles, I advocate that they bring it to Africa. They need to get rid of the urge in these Sickos.

3 of the first 11 posts in some way lay the blame with the west, or europeans!! This is so typical of Africans. Is it not about time as a continent you stood on your own 2 feet?? Africa is more than happy to accept western handouts for your corrupt politicians, but the slightest problem, blame the west. It's tiresome.

@ Mr. Isaac Eteobong, I understand and respect your opinion. However, are you trying to say that it is the fault of the female whose dressing is seductive to men? Are you saying that man is not a higher being of intelligence and so unable to suppress primal instincts when a seductive woman comes his way? What then distinguishes man from animals if he leaps at anything in "micro miniskirts, sleeveless tops or topless clothes"? I am not saying that 5yr old girls need to be dressed as 20yolds, in fact, I disagree with overdressing young girls. However, it is also important that females be allowed to dress in whatever and however way she deems comfortable. Now, please lets focus on the issue at hand, and that is there should be laws that severely punish pedophiles - a problem that far outcries the clothing on a woman's body.

Re. the post by Eteobong Isaac.
To say that a child's manner of dress is a problem suggests that they are, somehow, complicit in their abuse. How obscene!
If this is an African perspective, there's an awfully long way to go before African Nations can really tackle issue.

Apparently this is evil against the innocent and
helpless children. there is law in Nigeria but is not
enforced. even in traditional soceity it is a taboo which
goes with death penalty. but civilization has eroded this
purnishement of offenders. this incidents of paedophilia
is caused by child neglect by parents. howver, they can be
protected stiffed punishment such as death penalty....

paedophiles are already condemned by God if our
laws are not tough enough. there are commiting such
things in Nigeria without any sanctions by court
or other law enforcement agents. human right should
take this issue as priority agenda hence. in in my
village "Bekwarra" CRoss river, is a regarded as a
taboo. purnishment is death. it is still hapening all over the world
because offenders are not bieng purnished seriously
to deterred future occurences. ADAH JOHN

I am convinced that the Church (Christian, Moslem, Hindu, Buddah, Judaism, etc) has a pivotal role to play in demonstrating by preaching, practising and promoting the welfare of women in their society. Generally speaking, women are abused in the Church, Home, Government, Work Place, etc. This is a universal chronic program in every culture. In a typical African society, women are over-worked, abused, marginalized, bought and sold by men. We need to raise our boys to respect their sisters and treat them as precious creations who happen to be weaker than them physically. Boys become abusers because they were raised to be abusers by the men in their community who treat women as disposable entities and as sources of sexual pleasure.

Unfortunately, our laws in Nigeria are on the books, but in reality are laughable. How can paedophiles dealt with when you read cases of 50year olds defiling/raping 6year olds and all he gets is 6months imprisonment and an option of a N500.00 ($3.33 at today's rate) fine.

What does that tell you?

Besides a member of senate who "married" a 13year old is walking free.

So is my own country tough on paedophilia? Isn't that an oxymoron?

Really,only a sick psychotic human can actually think of abusing a child who has no 'pubertile' endowments.whether a child wears fitting clothes or not,there is still nothing seductive about their bodies.i think we need to educate these kids more about stuffs like these as even close & trusted relatives often turn out to be child molesters.also,the government should put in place proper enforcement of laws against paedophiles.

I think there are laws in place, but implementing them is a challenge. For example, registered sex offenders from foreign countries who make their way into countries within Africa are hardly monitored because there are no mechanisms in place; and the community watch-dog is unaware or think we just have a bunch of very friendly tourists who like to shower our children with gifts.

I highlight tourist pedophiles because I think cases involving them are largely ignored or go unnoticed, but obviously there are many cases involving pedophiles within our communities as well.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Like the world is standing as one against the evil acts of terrorism with one voice, it should do the same with this problem. Its a global problem that need a global solution with a uniform punishment. With Africa, so many girls are made to experience such brutality, a scar they will remain with them for the rest of their lives and in most cases these paedophiles cases go an noticed. The laws should be brutal like the act its self, with all Governments securing funds to sensitize their communities. We "The World" Should protect our little ones

Ssegawa Arafat Ibrahim
Uganda

Growing up in Kenya the society more by fear than the constitution while the regular law abiding citizen can live with no fear whatsoever, criminals live with the danger of loosing their lives through mob justice or the police any time they commit a crime. It has worked to deter would be criminals and works to this day. When it comes to sexual deviants I think it is tough enough. If you survive police brutality as well as horrible jail conditions then for sure there will be no repeat offenses that is characteristic of offenders in the west.

In the northernmost part of Nigeria some moslems hide under the teaching of Islam and take girls pre-pubertal age for wives.

If there are any laws, they are not strong enough. In Zambia this is as common a crime as pick pocketing. Which is sad. It seems that the only punishment given is equivalent to a slap on the wrist.

We need to get thougher. THis is a horrific crime and should not be tolerated. It boils down to the fact the bodies of the children are not respected. I definately disagree with the clothing argument. Are you saying that if you saw a Volvo with the car in the ignition you would just jump in the car and drive away. This is an example that rape counselors often use wyhen they hear comments such as how was the victim dressed. What should be talked about it the is horrible act committed by the perpetrator(s) and what punishment they should receive.