I still believe children are the future of the world, but it seems there are other people who don't.

It is shocking to see what has been going on in the country these past few weeks leading up to Child Protection Week, and it has been extremely hard to absorb the rate at which innocent children are being murdered.

I believe in this day and age, no matter the geographical location, educational qualification and gender, anybody who engages in sexual activity knows the consequences.

We are a nation that has become used to such horrendous acts. When we hear of a 19-year-old who stabbed her newborn daughter to death and we read of a baby dumped in a drain, newborns left to die in open velds and the body of a nine-year-old found in a fridge, we cannot truly express the disgust and alarm we feel. It is as if we have become desensitised.

Especially as it is Child Protection Week, something has to be done to prevent further horrifying acts.

There have to be reasons for the perpetrators to commit these acts, but none to justify taking the life of a newborn baby. They need to be counselled and made to understand why they are in jail so they can pay for their actions and the destructive cycle can end.

Children are to be protected, nurtured and cherished, not just this week, but every day. They are the future of our nation, the future of the world.