A two-week-old baby was on Wednesday found abandoned in a garden in Gishyita Sector, Karongi District. According to the Police, the infant was discovered by children who had gone to fetch firewood. The child was immediately rushed to hospital. It is suspected that the mother is a 17-year-old residing in the area. “Child abandonment leads to sustained emotional abuse, isolation, humiliation or violence that is likely to cause a child trauma,” said Superintendent Emmanuel Hitayezu, Police Spokesperson for Western Province. “Children who are emotionally deprived are more likely to develop mental health problems, have poor social and relationship skills, and end up in the criminal justice system,” he said. “By acting early together through community policing, we can avoid the trauma of emotional abuse that can affect a whole life.” Under Article 231 of the Penal Code, child abandonment by a parent or a guardian, attracts an imprisonment term of between two and five years and a fine between Rwf20,000 and Rwf100,000. Statistics from the Police Anti-GBV and Child Protection Office indicate that 69 cases of parents or guardians abandoning their children were recorded between 2012 and 2014.
