‘We find up to 100 children in one raid’

The Malawi Police Service (MPS) works with Eye of the Child, US-based Free A Girl and the Department of Social Welfare to rescue underage girls from commercial sexual exploitation. Area 3 Police Station deputy officer-in-charge, Assistant Commissioner Patricia Njawili, spoke to about the scale of the problem, the impact of rescue operations and the challenges police face.

Njawili: Some girls become hostile to police. | Caroline Somanje

**How would you rate the prevalence of children on the streets? **

The problem is high in the country, especially here in Lilongwe. I don’t have the exact figures offhand, but if you go to places such as Wakawaka, Area 24 and Kawale, you will find young teenagers, including girls, living on the streets. Some are drinking alcohol, smoking chamba and engaging in commercial sex. It is a serious child-protection problem.

**What have you found about the condition of these children? **

Many of them are exposed to risky situations such as commercial sex and exploitation. Some children are found with sexually transmitted infections after they were tested. That alone shows the extent of the dangers they face while living on the streets.

**So far, have you arrested anyone in connection with the abuse or exploitation of these children? **

Yes, some people are in custody and the cases are in court. Some were found sleeping with minors, while others are business owners from whose premises some of the children were rescued. I cannot provide further details because the cases are ongoing.

**Some business owners claim ignorance of the girls’ ages during rescues. How do you deal with such cases? **

Ignorance is not a defence in law. It is their duty and responsibility to establish who they are accommodating and to verify ages. They cannot simply claim they did not know. From my experience, these girls are recruited as a way of attracting customers. Of course, most deny this and argue that the children come to these places on their own.

** How are the girls recruited? **

Some are duped into believing they are going to work as domestic workers in people’s homes, only to end up in bars and lodges. Others are employed as waitresses, but are eventually turned into commercial sex workers. It is all part of the grooming process. Some are even recruited by women. Due to push factors such as poverty or ill-treatment by parents or guardians, the girls may feel that working or staying in a bottle store is safer than remaining at home.

**How do the police work with other stakeholders to address the problem? **

Periodically, we work with the Department of Social Welfare and non-governmental organisations whose focus is child protection. We go to different places across the city, including bottle stores and other hotspots, to identify and remove children who are being exposed to harmful environments.

** What are some of the biggest challenges you face in dealing with the problem? **

We do not have enough space or facilities to accommodate all the children who need protection. Sometimes we find 50 to 100 children in one raid, but we lack safe houses to take them to and are forced to let many go.

Removing a child from the street is only the first step. We also need safe places where they can receive support, rehabilitation and later be reunited with their families. Given adequate resources, we could rescue these girls daily.

Another challenge is that some children become hostile towards police during rescue operations. They are frightened or have been brainwashed into believing the perpetrators are their protectors. They feel compelled to protect them and have a false sense of security.

Aside from arrests, what else do you do to curb the vice?

We conduct awareness campaigns targeting parents, bar owners and lodge operators about their responsibilities under the law to protect children.

** How often do you conduct rescue operations? **

Unfortunately, the rescues depend on the availability of resources. We need enough officers and vehicles to conduct these operations effectively.

—Rescued children are taken to safe houses run in partnership with Eye of the Child and Free A Girl, where they receive counselling, life skills training and support for reintegration.

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