There are many cases of children being sexually abused because parents and guardians are not interested in their welfare.

Last week, two women got engaged in a heated argument as they gave various reasons for the large number of sexual molestations. One of the women felt parents and guardians were to be blamed. the other felt some children were responsible for sexual abuses meted out to them.

"The reports of children being sexually abused is far too regular now, and something drastic must be done about it," one of the women remarked.

"Many of the mothers know their children are prostituting themselves for money, and are in agreement with it."

In response, the other woman said the other should not blame mothers because children were in agreement.

"Yes, some of the children cause the men to be intimate with them, because they want money to spend, so they say yes to the men. The children all know it is wrong but they refuse to expose the men because the money entices them," she said.

The other woman was upset by her remarks . She queried why the other was blaming children and not men.

"Some of these men, nowadays, just want to fool around children. they have no use for adults, so do not blame the children. The men must know not to bring sex arguments to children. This is why I say, all the time, these men should be locked away for the rest of their lives.

"Look at the case, the other day, how the man chopped up and killed his 15-year-old girlfriend. You mean, to say, the girl's mother or father did not know she was living with the man? Poverty is no reason for such things to happen because, as poor as I am, I will never allow those things to happen to my children. I make sure my children are under my control and I make sure tell them that any man bring any kind of sex argument to them, just come and tell me."

When her friend asked her what she would do, she replied "well what I can't handle, I wiil ask the police to handle for me."

The two agreed girls and boys were in danger of sexual abuses, and government should have more public programmes to educate adults, and children, on the issue.

They also agreed that adults, especially mothers, who allowed their underage daughters to be in relationships with men, should be punished.

The Child Care and Protection Act makes provision for persons who fail to report cases of any sort of neglect and abuse on children to be arrested and charged. If convicted, stiff prison terms could be imposed. The age of consent is 16, so persons should be aware that no girl under 16 can agree to sexual intercourse. Men who sexually assault children, tboys or girls, can be arrested and charged and, if convicted, could be sent to prison.