For the past few years, hardly a week passes without hearing about someone being raped or molested. It is sad when it is young children that are raped and sexually abused by figures they look up to. It is particularly tragic when the rapist or molester is the child’s own relative or parent.
I have lost count of the number of times I have heard of little girls as young as five being raped by their own father, be it biological or step. You hear of a 14-year-old primary school pupil getting impregnated by her tutor. These are the evil realities in our society.
What is disturbing is that the cases we hear about are the ones that get reported; it is a known fact that most of the incidences related to rape and sexual abuse are not reported. Some do not report because they are not aware that they are supposed to.
How can a five-year-old know that a violation is being committed against her and that she has to report to someone? And it’s worse when this rapist and that “someone’ she would ideally report to are one and the same; a person she trusts with her young pure soul.
Others are aware of the injustice done against them but suffer in silence because of the fear of carrying the “shame” of having been put through such a demeaning and traumatic experience. It is outrageous that at the end of the day, it is the victim being shamed and not the perpetrator of such a heinous act.
Some men are actually proud of sexually abusive acts; apparently it gives them a perverted sense of masculinity. H o w e v e r , masculinity is there to protect not violate; what is there to be proud of about forcing yourself on a helpless and innocent five year old?
N e x t come s t h e blame shifting. In most cases, the rapists are not blamed but everyone else and usually it’s the females. Why did the mother leave the daughter alone with the father? The mother should have protected the child. Does his wife satisfy him? He must be getting little satisfaction in the bedroom. Why was the girl putting on a short dress? She provoked/seduced the man. Why are girls’ bodies maturing so fast these days? Men are tempted.
All the blame is usually diverted to anything else but the rapists himself. The fact remains, rape is a crime. Rape is demeaning. Rape brings shame to your family. Rape is traumatic to the victim. Rape is wrong. There is no justification as to why someone should violate another person’s body and have sex with them against their will.
Who said only mothers should protect and take care of their children? If a husband is not getting satisfaction at home, does it make sense to get satisfaction through a forced act other than a mutually agreed act? If your pupil’s uniform is short, why not tell her to put on a longer one next time she comes to class? And if you like mature bodies, why not stick to the already matured ones?
These perceptions are the reason we see the prevalence of rape and sexual-abuse related cases; people know they can get away with it or someone else will be blamed and the rapist will also be looked at as a victim. Even with most cases that are reported, only a few end in satisfactory convictions.
Sooner than later, the rapist is seen back on the streets. He walks around carrying a trophy of his victory, while the victim’s life is permanently ruined. The psychological and physical ramifications rape has on a victim are irreversible. It’s a dark cloud that hovers above a victim for the rest of their lives.
Society and law enforcers should not treat rapists with kid gloves. Society should refrain from blaming anyone else but the rapists for rape whether directly or indirectly. There should be tighter laws and punishment for sexual abusers, paedophiles and rapists.
I once wrote in one of my articles that if I had it my way, they would receive a life penalty for ruining another individual’s life. Some leave their victims infected with HIV, which is as good as manslaughter. They should rot in jail.
I rest my case.
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