Daily horror: Children face rising wave of sexual abuse

MBABANE – Every day, a child in Eswatini faces the risk of sexual assault.

Between June and October 2025, 40 cases of sexual abuse against minors were reported across the kingdom, with victims as young as four years old. Last week, Judge Titus Mlangeni described the rape of minors as a scourge. The judge went on to advise a rape-accused man to stay away from minor children.

Disturbingly, some of the perpetrators were fathers or close relatives, highlighting a growing domestic crisis that spans both urban and rural communities.

An analysis of the 40 cases shows a shocking pattern of repeated and prolonged abuse. Over 70 per cent of victims were aged between 10 and 17 years, but at least five victims were under eight years old. In several cases, assaults occurred over weeks or months, often inside the homes of the victims or perpetrators.

The timeline of events demonstrates that these crimes are neither isolated nor sporadic. Incidents first surfaced in late June 2025, with cases reported at Mahlabatsini, Mpaka and Deda.

The surge intensified in August and September, when nearly half of all incidents occurred, before continuing into October. This five-month period reflects a sustained epidemic of sexual violence against minors.

Some of the most alarming cases involve family members. Biological fathers and grandfathers were implicated in repeated assaults, while stepfathers also abused trust to harm children.

These sexual assaults were often discovered only after victims displayed signs of trauma or injury. The youngest victims included four-year-old and eight-year-old girls, who were sexually assaulted by known family members in their homes or in nearby forests.

Geographically, the cases span nearly every region, from Pigg’s Peak and Lavumisa in the north to Timbutini, Maphungwane and Ngudzeni in central and southern areas.

Communities including Makholokholo, Mafutseni, Bhunya, Lobamba, Mpolonjeni and Mphofu were affected. Perpetrators were both known and unknown to victims, illustrating that danger exists in both familiar and public spaces.

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