Following the court protest in Boksburg, calling for NO BAIL for the rapist of an 11-year-old girl who is now pregnant, WMACA’s Luke Lamprecht speaks about all the issues faced in the child abuse and Violence Against Children (VAC) landscape.
Luke exposed a deeply troubling landscape of Child Protection failure in South Africa, characterized by a systemic disregard for children’s lives and institutional incompetence.
He highlighted critical issues including unplanned pregnancies creating vulnerable children, multiple government departments failing to collaborate effectively, and a justice system that consistently fails to protect minors.
The reporting mechanisms are so flawed that children who report abuse often face further victimization, with schools and law enforcement frequently dismissing or mishandling abuse cases.
The core of the problem, according to Lamprecht, lies in a societal mindset that undervalues children’s safety and potential. He emphasized the need to shift from reactive to preventative approaches, advocating for comprehensive education about responsible conception and creating environments where children don’t need to protect themselves from adults.
The current system’s approach to child protection is fragmented, with departments more focused on individual successes than creating a holistic safety net. Despite these challenges, Lamprecht maintains a sense of hope, believing that sustained, systematic intervention can gradually transform the current dire situation for children in South Africa.
“We should not be teaching children to say NO to adults. We should be raising children in a world where the responsibility for their safety is not on them.”
Watch here: https://youtu.be/B_z2sqI6Nto
Luke highlighted several key points about child protection failure in South Africa:
- Systemic Disregard
- General societal disregard for children’s lives
- Children from unplanned pregnancies start at a significant disadvantage
- Lack of comprehensive, coordinated approach to child protection
- Institutional Failures
- Multiple government departments fail to collaborate effectively
- No unified communication strategy for child protection services
- Endless delays in court systems
- Poor response from law enforcement and justice system
- Reporting and Response Issues
- Cases are often reported but not acted upon
- High risk of secondary victimization when abuse is reported
- Schools and authorities often don’t take children’s reports seriously
- Children can face further harm after reporting abuse
- Broader Societal Problems
- Unplanned pregnancies contribute to child vulnerability
- Lack of preventative education about responsible conception
- No comprehensive strategy to protect children before they are born
- Justice System Shortcomings
- Convictions often come too late
- Children spend years in court systems
- Adverse outcomes discourage future reporting
- No specialized unit effectively handling child protection cases
Luke emphasized that while these failures exist, maintaining hope and working systematically to change the system is crucial for protecting children.
