Director of Community for Children Rights in northern Tanzania, Kate McAlpine, said she was “horrified but unsurprised” by President John Magufuli’s decision.
The president on Saturday pardoned Nguza Viking, known as Babu Seya, and his son Johnson Nguza, known by the stage name Papii Kocha, who were given life behind bars after being convicted of raping 10 girls, aged between six and eight years.
McAlpine said this was the latest example of the president showing a lack of understanding about violence against women and children. Earlier this year, the president banned pregnant school girls from returning to school.
“Pregnant schoolgirls are pregnant because they are victims of violence. He has a blind spot when it comes to recognising children as victims. There seems to be a punitive attitude towards young children” Ms McAlpine said.
She also said the fact that the two men were jailed in the first place was unusual in a country where most child rape cases are resolved between families. She said: “It’s extremely rare for child rape cases to get to court in Tanzania – and even rarer for the culprits to get life sentences. (Photo: LIB)
Condemnable and outrageous. I though this president has a reputation for humanism but to release convicted child rape offenders is the lowest any adult and or parent can go, let alone the president of a country who should be seen as a father of the nation. Culture or tradition does not have anything to do with injustice, which this decision is. Unless, of course, there is ‘political’ undertone to the judicial processing of the convicts.
Nevertheless, the president’s will most likely sink below required grade amongst comity of international nations. How educated is he?
Wow! I feel like puking.
Pardoning people convicted of despicable and heinous crimes like this is very irresponsible of this president. It is also wrong of him to forbid students who become pregnant from coming back to school. This man, John Magufuli, is an idiot and unworthy of being called president of any nation inhabited by human beings. Can the Tanzania national legislature or the Supreme Court overrule him on this matter? This is borderline crime against humanity.