THE Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) has expressed concern over rising cases of child rape, with close relatives mainly being the perpetrators.

On Thursday, the commission held an awareness campaign in Epworth condemning sexual abuse of minors.

“It has been observed that rape, abuse of underage girls, and the marriage of the young women, has intensified and this problem is spreading across the country,” ZGC commissioner Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe said at the event.

Mukahanana-Sangarwe also spoke out against child marriages, saying the vice was an affront on the rights of the girl child.

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that children have access to their basic human rights, security and dignity, and the opportunity to go to school and do activities that uplift our country,” she said.

While there are no statistics on the number of cases since January, there have been several cases of sexual abuse of minors.

In April, two Harare men were allegedly caught red-handed while raping two eight-year old girls in Mabvuku.