PGR calls for coordinated action to reduce violence against children

Maputo, 3 Feb – The Mozambican Attorney-General, Américo Letela, has called on the bodies of the administration of justice and civil society organizations to act in a coordinated manner to reduce violence and exploitation against children.

According to Letela, who was speaking on Monday at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Judicial Year, silence and social indifference are factors that harm children’s rights, and so must not be normalised.

The Attorney-General revealed that over the last year, the Maputo Prosecutor’s Office recorded 1,788 cases involving children, of which 1,298 mainly concerned matters of regulating the exercise of parental authority, while 412 related to official paternity investigations.

“These numbers, when compared with those of previous years, illustrate the growing pressure on this jurisdiction, hence the need for increasingly swift and effective responses”, he said.

“The figures continue to worry us regarding cases of child rape and the sexual abuse of children under 12 years of age”, he added.

Regarding terrorism, which has been plaguing districts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado province since 2017, Letela revealed that, in the last two years, at least 325 abducted children have returned to their households.

“Cabo Delgado continues to face serious social and humanitarian challenges, exacerbated by terrorist attacks, with a direct impact on children’s rights and well-being. Another prevalent practice that compromises children’s development is child marriage.

According to Letela, the PGR also detected behaviors that jeopardize children’s education “through inappropriate content in musical and choreographic performances. We are aware that these figures may not represent the true extent of the problem, which demands additional efforts from all social segments”, he added.

“This is why the PGR has been urging the competent institutions not to authorize events that could compromise the education and healthy development of children”, he added.
(AIM)
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