The Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare and Community Services says it will engage stakeholders on the possibility of reviewing penalties for rape and defilement.

The Chairperson for the Committee, Savel Kafwafwa, said this in Zomba on Tuesday during a familiarization tour of  Youth Net and Counselling (Yoneco’s) interventions.

Kafwafwa told YFM that the escalating cases of defilement are as a result of lenient penalties and outdated laws among other things.

“We have typical evidence that at times the judgments given to perpetrators of defilement are not hard enough to deter would be offenders,” he said.

He added: “We are currently discussing with the judges and lawyers to ensure that judgments being passed are strong enough to deter other people in the societies.”

Kafwafwa further said they are getting views from the citizens on the effectiveness of the laws in the current era after which they will be reviewed and amended.