Tanzanian leader under fire for pardoning child rapists [The Morning Call]

Tanzanian president John Pombe Magufuli is under fire for pardoning persons convicted of raping school girls. According to a child rights activist Kate McAlpine who heads the Community for Children’s Rights located in the north of Tanzania, the president’s action comes across as a punishment to young children. While addressing hundreds of people at the country’s 56th independence anniversary on saturday, Magufuli announced a pardon of prisoners with the release of nearly 2000 convicts while more than 6,000 others would have their sentences reduced. Among the released convicts were two child rapists. Ms McAlpine said the pardon illustrated Mr Magufuli showed a “lack of understanding about violence against children”.