Ministry of Family investigates alleged involvement of minors with Chinese citizens

The information was forwarded to Lusa news agency by the director general of the National Children's Institute (INAC), Paulo Calesi, who was also a member of the delegation.

According to Paulo Calesi, the delegation found the existence of a group of 15 women, including three minors, who became involved with Chinese citizens, resulting in children from these relationships, some already a year old.

"One of the girls, aged 17, has a one-year-old child, which means she became pregnant at 16," he pointed out.

Paulo Calesi said that Chinese citizens have an unrecognized de facto relationship, with others who, without living with women, support their children.

"But our concern was with the children," said the official, despite the fact that the minors denied information that pointed to a relationship forced by the families.

"What they told us is that they weren't forced by their parents, that two years ago some ladies, aged 25 to 30 years, had relations with the Chinese and these Chinese actually support women, and it's because of that, the Chinese to treat well the ladies with whom they have children, that the minors have started to date Chinese citizens," he explained.

This information was confirmed by some sobas (village chiefs), who were all unanimous that "it is not parental guidance".

The director-general of INAC reiterated that "at no time was it the influence of parents or poverty that they got involved with them."

"From this relationship, children were born, which the Chinese assume," said Paulo Calesi, stressing that despite this, because they are minors, this involvement is a crime.

Local bodies created a brigade for the registration of both women and children generated in these relationships, and in some cases Chinese citizens attended the act of registering their children.

"Those whose ages are proven to be younger will now file a case with the criminal investigation to hold the culprits accountable", said the director general of INAC.

According to Paulo Calesi, legal measures had not yet been taken due to the lack of proof of the age of these women, and there was also no detention of Chinese.

"The only reason he has not been held responsible so far is because there was no identification, it was not known if, in fact, they were even minors or not. Now that they have documents, it is proven that they are minors, the process will now proceed with its procedures to hold Chinese adults who got involved sexually," he indicated.

Paulo Calei recalls that the consent of a minor in these cases "is irrelevant, because she is a minor and it is sexual violation, it is abuse and these people will be held responsible."

The citizens involved are identified and live in the area, because they work in fishing companies in Caota, a fishing area in the province of Benguela.