The Center for Child Law Urges parents, tutors of pregnant girls under 12 years to take legal measures

Cape Town – The Center for the Law of the Child urged the parents and guardians of the girls under the age of 12 to take legal measures.

The national statistics show almost 1,500 girls between the ages of 10 and 14, they delivered babies at health units in the first three months of this financial year.

The director of the Center for Child Law, Karabo Ozah, said the government should do more to educate and prevent such cases.

“But that matters only for children who can consent to sexual activities. If you talk about a child of twelve and below, by law they cannot consent, and those children are victims of sexual crimes.”

Ozah said that girls under twelve years who become pregnant are automatically victims of sexual violence and that it is vital for victims’ families to present themselves to find the government.

“The families of these children have to be employed to do legal measures. Now they are complicated and, once you take legal steps, then there is the problem of the response of our justice system.”