Another Rape victim

Another rape victim, on this occasion a child of only ten years. A little girl went to her school’s lavatory at the Georgetown Government School on the call of nature, only to be forcibly snatched by a vicious criminal not too long released from prison. I cringe when I heard what he did to this little girl. I condemn this vicious crime on this child and hope that the rapist would receive the heaviest hand of the law. We must say to the rapists out there that this animalistic behaviour will not be tolerated.{{more}}

Need to be proactive instead of reactive

This raises the question as to the safety of our children in schools. We should not wait until things happen to take action. We must be proactive not reactive. We must be vigilant because evil can prop up anywhere. With all the news about violent acts in schools in the United States, I would expect schools here in SVG to overhaul their security systems. It is sad to know that enough is not done to protect our children. Schools should be properly enclosed, and security guards should be employed to scout around for undesirables. Some degree of protection must be given to our helpless children. There are still schools out there with outside toilets. This archaic practice should be discontinued. Toilets should be linked in some way to the main building. Public and private buildings have toilet facilities inside the building for their workers, yet this is not a norm in schools. Outside toilets should be pulled down and modern amenities linked to the building should be provided. Our children deserve better than what is available now.

Safe from harm

When children go to school, parents are literally handing them over to the school, and by extension to the teachers, not only to provide an education, but to keep them safe from harm. This means that teachers have a responsibility to return the children safe and sound to the parents. They have a duty to account for every child in their care during school hours. It is strange for a child to be out of the classroom for some two hours without arousing suspicion.

Besides the physical damage, that little girl could no doubt suffer severe psychological damage from that ordeal. She would require counseling and therapy to avert any adverse effects. Rape victims are sometimes associated with post-traumatic disorder and there are some effects such as memory loss, anxiety and obsessive thoughts.

Protect our children

Children are fragile and any abuse or bad treatment could cause irreparable damage. No longer can we take things for granted. Maladjusted children could even be a liability to society. There is need to do some troubleshooting for the greater protection of our children. Learn lessons from incidents abroad. Train teachers to look out for danger signs. Children and women have too much to bear because they are perceived to be the weaker ones in our society. No wonder this strong virile man chose to vent his anger and power on a weak hapless child. The Feminist writer, Susan Brownmiller, claims that rape is motivated not by lust but by the urge to control and dominate. What ever the motivational reason, children and women should not be at the mercy of these criminals.

Ada Johnson is a solicitor and barrister-at-law.
E-mail address is: exploringthelaw@yahoo.com