Last year when we were in Brazil for our MBA classes, my classmate read the news about a five year old girl’s rape … By a neighbour who pushed a candle up her vagina. The child died and I don’t know what happened to the rapist. Yesterday a colleague of mine told me of a similar story in Haryana.. The rapist in this case is out on bail and was this little girl’s uncle. There is a home full of little girls in an orphanage run by the Sisters of charity (Mother Teresa’s organization) who have all suffered physical abuse … And then two days back we hear of a 6 year old being raped inside a school in Bangalore. Is this the world we are bringing our children into ? I am deeply distressed, just unable to let go of the image of some little girl who is being abused …. It’s barbaric. These molesters and pedophiles who prey on little children do not deserve to be treated as human beings, because if they were human, they could not have molested innocent children.
These children are scarred for life. Their sense of right and wrong broken and misplaced. It is difficult to let go of deep trauma as an adult, but for something like abuse to happen as a child just starts out in life is cheating the child out of a normal life. India also doesn’t have good psychiatric support for these children and with all the stigma associated with these incidents, parents and other folks try and hush everything up. And in some cases, the family tries to make a living by peddling the gory story and the worst perpetrators are the fathers and uncles and cousins :(:(:(:(
These are not stories happening in India only …remember the news item on that Polish guy who had raped his daughter over 15 years getting her pregnant several times and keeping her under lock and key ? Rapes, molestation and abuse are universal.
You never know, if your neighbour is a good person or the sleeping cell of a terrorist outfit… You never know, if the swimming coach is a decent man or is molesting your little girl.. You never know if that superstar performer on your team is actually an abusive husband… You never know if the shy colleague is a pedophile … You never know, if you are shaking hands with a rapist, murderer or a pedophile :(. That’s the unnerving part of our society today. Trust levels are at an all time low. A passenger aircraft gets shot at and innocent lives are lost just because “someone” thought it was a military aircraft !! Another flight disappears ??? Unbelievable. In this day and age where google is able to zoom in on this post as I am writing it, a regular airplane goes missing.
I think the phrase “you never know” frames the 2000’s… So you never know, when women will retaliate and brutes will be made to run for cover, you never know when pedophiles will be publicly stoned… You never know when, rapists will be tattooed and paraded naked before being castrated… You never know when, tolerance for terrorism will be lost and the cowards will be ambushed !! Well, you never know… Right ?
Just sad, very sad right now thinking of the next little girl or little boy who is being abused by a monster as I write this and another one as you read this… We live in a sick world, that needs cleansing.
What’s the solution, huh? The law ain’t gonna do nothing! The families (including the women in those families) will protect their monstrous men.
The answer to me is vigilantism.
I had something happen to my wife & daughter. One died for it, another will never walk again and their establishment burnt down. And I feel redeemed & sleep easy. Action cures fear.
If we expect the Police / Politicians will take action on such gruesome misdemeanors we are asking for too much. Our judicial process too is long drawn and by the time clemency appeals are rejected , (if at all it reaches that stage ) it will be a decade. A day is certainly going to come and i hope it comes pretty soon when the culprit’s balls are crushed in public view and if he survives it, his forehead is permanently tattooed to say ” Beware, I am a rapist”
Bindu, it may be that some of the incidents, whether it be molestation, rape, child abuse and torture, are coming to light more now than earlier. How many from our age group were molested as kids? I believe the percentage is pretty high. Allow me to share my story, which I have so far not spoken of, not because I feel ashamed now but because I found no reason to until now. The recent events certainly affected me and I believe there is reason enough for me to talk about what was. Much before we knew what was right, wrong, what meant inappropriate touching and could comprehend, object and raise my voice against it, I was molested, not by one, but by several men who had access to us, freely, without any monitoring. My uncle for one, who is no more, two of my cousins and a neighbor. One, if my memory serves me right, told me it was a game that was played by kids and adults, that was a secret. I was lucky, in his words, to be included in the game. How deep the resentment, shame, horror, heartbreak that I wasn’t protected, aversion to men, cousins and uncles, only I know. Its a shame how much we trust our family members and we end up finding out that one of them may be lusting after young children, molesting grown women, plotting to rape someone or simply preying on someone for sex.
Who knows what may happen tomorrow, right, as you say? May be men will be castrated, even before procreation given the way some of them raise their children. May be uncles and cousins will NEVER have access to boy or girl child, knowing very well that many young boys are also molested. May be mothers will be allowed to raise their children, alone in some cases, so we have children with a balance of strength, kindness and character.
You never know, right, as you say? Yes, we never know, what or who our neighbor is, what or who our partner is, and what our friends may have been through. It is indeed a disgusting world, of those who have forgotten to be decent.
I didn’t know how to respond… But a big hug to you. I think there is no girl in India who hasn’t had an unpleasant/horrific incident growing up involving the men who are here relatives or parents’ friends. Really sad and sick state of affairs. :(. Let’s just get our daughters to stand up and fight back because we cant turn the clock back. Take care, dear friend and stay strong. You are right and they were wrong.
Keeping an eye out for every girl child is what it has come down to. But, men must know we are stronger than what they perceive us to be and will teach our daughters well.
Thank you. Hugs back.
Thank you for bringing this out of me today. I feel better for sharing and reading your posts have also been something of a habit.
Dear Bindu, Yes, we are living in a sick world…..absolutely. Very well written. Regards Syamala