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Unwilling fathers have their days numbered
2006-03-29 08:16:34
By Bilham Kimati, Dodoma
Modern screening technology would help nab men who run away from women they make pregnant and deny any involvement.
The technology will help mothers who are abandoned by men who make them pregnant, Parliament was told yesterday.
The Minister for Community Development Gender and Children, Sofia Simba, said the problem of discarded children was becoming more serious on daily basis.
She was responding to the question from Kidawa Salehe, MP Special Seats who demanded some explanation from the government on factors that lead to the abandonment of children and measures taken to address the situation adequately.
’Statistics available at the Social Welfare Department shows that in 2005 a total of 350 children were forsaken in different parts of the country.
From Dar es Salaam 45 such children were salvaged and taken to various child care centres,’ the minister said.
However, the minister admitted the complexity in learning about all such offences due to the nature of secrecy involved in breaking the law.
She said the kind of punishment given to those found responsible for the crime varied in strength depending on the nature and the circumstances in which the crime was committed.
’Some (mothers) abandon their children out of sickness such as mental confusion, epilepsy acquired during pregnancy and other reasons.
Among other factors outlined to have complicated the situation leading to abandonment of children include early pregnancies, rejection by male partners claimed to have fathered the children, scolding by parents, poverty, broken marriages among other reasons.
The minister said according to the law, all those found guilty of throwing away their children deliberately serve jail sentences ranging from one to three years.
The minister said more culprits will be brought to justice, thanks to introduction of DNA technology, as this would help the court of law to declare with certainty the real father of a child at the centre of dispute.
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