3.1.2 Perpetrators of violations against children The data on the perpetrators shows little difference from that reported in many human rights reports since 2000. It is interesting that, unlike many previous reports, MDC Youth are reported as perpetrators at a very low frequency, but youth militia, ZANU PF supporters, and war veterans are mentioned frequently. However, it is distressing that the Zimbabwe Republic Police(ZRP) are mentioned with such a high frequency, although most of these cases relate to the arrest and detention of National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) or WOZA activists, where women were detained in difficult conditions together with their infant children. Table 3: Perpetrators identified – 2001 to 2008 CIO MDC youth War veteran Youth militia ZANU PF youth ZANU PF supporter ZNA ZRP Totals: Percentage: 2001 0 0 5 0 0 2002 0 0 2 0 2 2003 0 3 0 7 0 2004 0 0 1 1 0 2005 0 1 1 1 0 2006 0 0 0 0 0 2007 0 0 0 0 0 2008 0 0 3 25 0 5 1 0 11 9% 2 0 0 6 5% 1 5 9 25 20% 3 0 1 6 5% 3 0 5 11 9% 0 0 4 4 3% 2 0 8 10 8% 17 2 3 50 41% Totals 0 4 (3%) 12 (10%) 34 (28%) 2 (2%) 33 (27%) 8 (7%) 30 (24%) 123 However, not all the cases merely involve the ZRP in arrests and detentions as the following disturbing report indicates: The victim claims that on the day of the incident he went to the shops around 17:00 hrs with his 5 year old child to buy covers and books for his children. He was leaving the shop when 4 police officers surrounded him and started assaulting him and he fell down. His 5 year old child started crying and he tried to get up but the police beat him and he fell again. He got up and ran away and was allegedly assaulted with a baton on his right ankle. His child was caught by the police who were alleged to have poured acid water on him. He ran back and the police also poured acid water on him. The police then assaulted other people in the vicinity. 3.2 Violence at schools or involving teachers As pointed out earlier, and also in an earlier report, school is a very important part of children’s life, providing the first public arena for socialisation outside of the family and the immediate local community. Thus, it is crucial that schools are safe environments, and the reports that schools have been venues for political activity and violence are a matter for grave 11