Situation
Grace* from Likamba village lives alone with her mother, having lost her father 4 years ago. Her mother is HIV positive and as a result cannot get a job. In June last year, Grace was sexually abused by her uncle causing her terrible psychological and physical pain.
Ace Intervention
Ace Childs Rights Committee members heard about this incident and reported it to the local police station. The episode was also reported to a local Ace Africa Child Rights Officer who helped Grace and took her to a local medical centre for health screening, tests and evidence collection. She was severely injured by the ordeal and received PEP (High Risk) Duovir + Ef in case the man was HIV positive and emergency contraceptive to avoid pregnancy.
Outcome
Alongside Ace Africa, the Child Rights Committee, police and TAWLA (Tanzania Women Legal Aid) maximum effort was applied to seek justice for this case. As a result of these combined efforts, on May 14, 2015 the perpetrator was bought to justice and sentenced to 30 years. This severe sentence had a huge influence on the community as a whole where tensions still remain between relatives who cannot accept what happened. Thankfully, Grace and her family are being protected by village leaders, community and committee members.
This case is an excellent example of the positive impact Ace Africa’s work can have on communities across our project sites and alongside the Egmont Trust, we hope to continue to bring such cases to justice.
* Names have been changed in this story to protect the identity of those involved.