TEEN YET TO REUNITE WITH FAMILY, ONE MONTH LATER

Latwell Nyangu

THE family of the Chitungwiza teenage girl, who went missing on March 1 before she was found in Mozambique, is yet to reunite with their daughter.

The delay has seen the family approaching the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to intervene.

The 16-year-old returned home on June 13 and since then she has been under the custody of social welfare who are also being accused of denying the biological father access to her.

Two men, who had kidnapped her, are facing sexual abuse charges.

By the time the schoolgirl went missing, she was staying with her uncle identified as Gwashavanhu.

He is now questioning the process.

“We have since approached the ministry for intervention.

“She is not yet reunited with her family and she has not resumed her studies. Why are they still holding the child?

“My brother, the child’s father, was denied access to see her at the probation centre despite him being in the company of the police officer, who is handling the case against the Mozambicans, who abused mwana.

“The police were shocked because it was like welfare is now fighting the police since my brother didn’t go there alone, police went there with him to afford him the opportunity to see the child since it’s been over two weeks since we last saw the child,” he said.

Gwashavanhu added:

“Investigations were completed by police on June 19 but social welfare is continuing to keep the child and nothing is warranting social welfare to keep the child there.

“In fact, she was not supposed to be there after investigations (statements recorded from her and medicals were taken) were completed.

“We have written to the minister to highlight the plight of this child. We need her to resume her studies.

“She wanted to be reunited with her family even when she was still in Mozambique. That was her wish but she has been denied that wish, four weeks after police brought her back to Zimbabwe.

“We hope the Minister will assist us to get the child released so that she can be reunited with her family.

“As a family, we need full reasons why she has continued to be held or why she will continue to be held despite police having advised us that we can have our child as they finished their investigations.”