Raising awareness to reduce the risks associated with the rise of water levels in the Ouémé and Niger rivers is the approach taken by the Parakou Court’s prosecutor’s office, which promises to take legal action against parents and authorities responsible for any resulting tragedies.
Some municipalities in Benin have recently been facing flooding caused by the rising waters of the Ouémé and Niger rivers. Loss of human lives has already been recorded in certain areas.
To mitigate the damages caused by this environmental phenomenon, the Parakou Court’s prosecutor’s office is particularly drawing the attention of parents to their responsibility to safeguard the lives of their children.
In fact, the third deputy prosecutor of the Parakou Court, through a statement dated August 16th, calls for caution among the population and reminds parents and individuals exercising parental authority that in accordance with Articles 10 and 12 of the Child Code, they have an obligation to protect and supervise children.
The Parakou Court promises firm action in case of failure to comply with these provisions of the Child Code. “We therefore invite them to take all necessary measures to fulfill their responsibility. Furthermore, we remind Mayors to mark watercourses with signs in accordance with the instructions of the Minister of Justice, which have been notified to them,” the statement specifies.
In the same statement, the Parakou Court’s prosecutor’s office promises to initiate “subsequent legal actions in case of any shortcomings.”
