ZANZIBAR is planning to review the law surrounding sexual assaults so that it comes up with tougher penalties to reduce the increasing incidents of sexual violence in isles.
There has been an outcry from the people in Zanzibar over lighter penalties for people accused of abusing women and children, a situation that had been fuelling such incidents in the area.
Zanzibar Chief Justice, Omar Othman Makungu said over the weekend that if people think that the punishment was not severe for those who were involved in the vice the room was open to review the Isle’s criminal law for the public interest.
“Our criminal law is different from that of Tanzania Mainland and that’s why the rapists in Zanzibar are given lighter penalties compared to what is happening in the mainland. Here, (Zanzibar) a person can be jailed for seven years, while in Tanzania Mainland the sentence can go up to 30 years,” Isles' chief justice said.
“We cannot sentence them beyond 7 years because of the current law, that’s why we’re thinking of reviewing it,” he said.
He added: “But, this will take time as it will go through some procedures including getting approval from the Zanzibar Council of Representatives.”
Judge Makungu further said that there were some magistrates who offered very light sentences to rapists and those who are behind women sexual assaults.
“I see this as a challenge because magistrates go against the Zanzibar law. I think this is what makes the problem continue to escalate,” he said,
He, however, said: “This year, we’re planning to ensure that all cases related to sexual assaults are prosecuted within the shortest period of time.”
Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous archipelago off the coast of East Africa, has one of the highest rates of violence against women in Tanzania, according to women's rights advocacy group, Tanzania Media Women's Association (TAMWA).
TAMWA study in 2014 also found that men committing sex crimes often walked free through lack of evidence and because victims refused to testify to avoid shame and stigma attached to rape and police ill-equipped to deal with such cases.
In Tanzania, almost half of women under the age 50 have been physically or sexually assaulted and government figures suggest one in three girls under 18 experienced sexual violence and 70 per cent experienced physical violence but few go to report the cases to the police.
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