As parents, you are the most important and trusted people to teach your daughters how to be safe in the world. Safety of the girl child goes beyond just protecting our daughters against worldly harm. Their health, mind and body, is also a crucial part of a well-rounded upbringing. But, unfortunately, this was not the case with the parents of this 9-year-old girl who arrived pregnant at the local hospital. 

Local authorities said that in the case of the 9-year-old girl who fell pregnant, DNA test results confirmed that the minor’s 13-year-old cousin is the father of her child. According to the police, paternity DNA test results have established that the victim’s 13-year-old cousin is the one who impregnated the 9-year-old girl. This was confirmed by national police spokesperson. In an update released on Saturday, authorities in Zimbabwe released the following statement:

“The Republic Police confirms that the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) results obtained from the National University of Science and Technology, in connection with the paternity of the 9 year old girl’s child, have established that the victim’s cousin brother (13) is the father of the child. The 9 year old complainant and the suspect will now receive the appropriate counselling from the Police’s Victim Friendly Unit (VFU). The police is now working with other relevant arms of the government to ensure that the due processes of the law are followed. “

The 29-year-old father of the pregnant girl was arrested, shortly after it was discovered that his daughter was pregnant. He is reported to have been assisting the police with their investigations. Many suspected that the father had ra-ed his 9-year-old daughter, who was diagnosed with a rare condition called precocious puberty. Precocious puberty is when a child’s body begins changing into that of an adult too soon. The test results, according to medical professionals, only demonstrate that the father is not responsible for the 9-year-old’s pregnancy—not that he did not rape his daughter. Dear readers, we are republishing this story amid recent reports that child se-ual abuse has surged in America during the pandemic.

Featured Image – Representative