(ANS – Freetown) – Children, young people, staff and religious of the child protection organisation Don Bosco Fambul celebrated this year’s Day of the African Child with a large children’s festival. Considerably more than 700 young people gathered on the premises.

At a session of the Don Bosco Children’s Parliament and a subsequent press conference, hundreds of young people denounced child abusers in Sierra Leone. A striking number of girls reported sexual assaults committed by teachers, neighbours or even family members, most of which had never been investigated by the police. One boy talked of an assault by several policemen in Freetown-Kissy. He and his friends were robbed and ill-treated. He even had to stay in a police cell for three days before the social workers of Don Bosco Fambul were able to free him.

These in due time initiated disciplinary proceedings against the policemen through the "Complaint Discipline Internal Investigation Department" (CDID). But the result was sobering: the policemen are still on duty. “Policemen will always protect criminal policemen” – that is how a nine-year-old street girl described the situation in a nutshell at the parliamentary session. Several street children spoke about their lives on the street, lives that are shaped by the violence and exploitation they have to experience every day.

In a unanimously agreed resolution directed at the government of Sierra Leone, the young people demanded quick and determined action on behalf of the children of Sierra Leone. The government was urgently requested to take measures on behalf of the families to prevent children ending up on the streets one after the other. The infrastructure of the educational and health care system is disgraceful, the persons in charge are corrupt. The investigating authorities and the judiciary were requested to ensure the establishment of an efficient penalty system against child abusers.

“Proclaiming Good News to the poor, and freedom to captives, restoring sight to the blind and setting the downtrodden free (cf. Lk 4,18–19) are fundamental priorities for Christians and all people of good will… Jesus was sent to bring Life in abundance to mankind (cf. John 10,10). Committed to this mission, it is impossible for us Christians and people of good will to put up with the blatant injustice of child trafficking, which degrades young people to the status of mere commodities and disregards their human dignity” said the statement of the Don Bosco Children’s parliament.

In his final address the director of Don Bosco Fambul, Brother Lothar Wagner SDB, got to the heart of the parliamentarians’ most pressing concerns: “It is not only on the 16th of June each year that the child deserves the appreciation of parents, relatives, teachers, and even the President - it is every single day!”

Published 17/06/2013