Parents can be charged

By PHOEBE GWANGILO
PARENTS who allow their children to work in nightclubs and brothels can be arrested and charged, an official says.
Simon Yanis, the director of the Office of the Child and Family Service, told The National that the Lukautim Pikinini Act protected girls aged 18 years and below.
And places such as nightclubs and brothels are not appropriate for them.
“We are suspecting that there are underage girls working in nightclubs to support their families,” he said.
“There is an influx of young girls from Central and Gulf being employed in clubs.”
He said they could be abused as they were minors. “I don’t know whether parents are allowing that to happen.
“That’s really against the spirit of the Lukautim Pikinini Act,” he said.
He said his office would protect children.
“We can inspect nightclubs with the police. We used to do that before but haven’t done it lately,” he said.
“We are suspecting that there are some kind of situations where girls are forced to get such jobs.
“Many of the children we identified to be doing odd jobs are mostly not raised by their relatives or single parents. As the director, I am appealing to the parents to be (aware) where your daughters are.”
Yanis said girls must be protected as they were underaged who warrant care from caregivers.