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Misanet.com / The Nation, 30 October - Unicef has asked Malawian President Bakili Muluzi to discipline teachers who take advantage of their positions and sexually abuse school girls if the country is to effectively promote girl education. Speaking at the opening of Ndirande Hill Primary School on Saturday, which has been funded by Unicef Germany, Unicef country representative Catherine Mbengue said her organisation was concerned with increasing reports of girl abuse in schools. "Too often, these girls remain voiceless and the perpetrators get away with their offences. The lifetime trauma impact on the victims, the risk to HIV/AIDS, is indeed unacceptable," Mbengue said. She lobbied for stiffer sentences against such teachers and asked the community not to cover up such cases. Said she: "Teachers who sexually abuse girls in their care do not have the moral authority to teach children about personal responsibility and value." Muluzi said he was disturbed with the reports and warned that government would deal with any teacher caught in the offence. "It is against human rights as well as professional ethics to abuse or harass girl pupils in the schools. The arm of the law will catch up with any teacher who will ever do so," warned Muluzi. He, however, cautioned pupils to avoid situations where such offences could occur. "A girl should not spend much time with a male teacher alone. More importantly, report the slightest sign of sexual suggestions," he advised. Reports of the sexual abuse of schoolgirls are widespread from all over the African continent. Sexual violence and abuse of young girls is one of the main reasons for the unproportionally high occurrence of HIV/AIDS in the female half of the population, regional studies have shown.
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