Evil of rape goes on unabated
Alarm bells should be loudly ringing across the county about the deeply disturbing epidemic of mostly young Namibian girls threading its way through our mostly vulnerable communities.
And yet the silence is not only deafening, but deeply worrying.
Experts have repeatedly warned that the rate of rape of our children is not only alarmingly high, but is on the rise.
Many cases of rape are simply not reported.
Stigma, shame, fear, lack of knowledge – victims retreat, their trauma unaddressed, justice and healing denied.
Recent crime reports also indicate that of all the newly opened cases of rape by police, most are linked to under 18-year-old girls, including pre-schoolers.
What does it say about a country that is so silent on the widespread incidence of child rape?
What does it say of a country where a 12-year-old recently gave birth after months of being raped by a man, who most likely had regular access to her, indicating he was a trusted neighbour, friend or family member?
What does it say about our country that social workers have pointed out that the public institutions tasked with assisting rape victims, including children, are often too overwhelmed, understaffed, inexperienced, careless and struggling with a lack of resources and training, to be effective?
What does the overwhelming silence, by our leaders, our society, say about us, as Namibians?
Instead of a red hot rage coursing through all levels of society on the issue, we instead yell and demean each other on social media whenever a new video surfaces where Namibians let their rage against the other spill out.
Then we log-off, pleased with our 'activism', but the sickness eating away at the health and future of our children, ignored.
The men who perpetrate these crimes, forcing children as young as four, eight, nine, 12 to have sex against their will, are spared our collective outrage, bile, hatred and opinions.
We as a community – including fathers, brothers, uncles, sons, must call on government and society to strengthen existing institutions and services, tackle the underlying factors that lead to rape and educate our girls, boys, men, and women that rape is not normal, okay or acceptable in this country or anywhere.
And yet the silence is not only deafening, but deeply worrying.
Experts have repeatedly warned that the rate of rape of our children is not only alarmingly high, but is on the rise.
Many cases of rape are simply not reported.
Stigma, shame, fear, lack of knowledge – victims retreat, their trauma unaddressed, justice and healing denied.
Recent crime reports also indicate that of all the newly opened cases of rape by police, most are linked to under 18-year-old girls, including pre-schoolers.
What does it say about a country that is so silent on the widespread incidence of child rape?
What does it say of a country where a 12-year-old recently gave birth after months of being raped by a man, who most likely had regular access to her, indicating he was a trusted neighbour, friend or family member?
What does it say about our country that social workers have pointed out that the public institutions tasked with assisting rape victims, including children, are often too overwhelmed, understaffed, inexperienced, careless and struggling with a lack of resources and training, to be effective?
What does the overwhelming silence, by our leaders, our society, say about us, as Namibians?
Instead of a red hot rage coursing through all levels of society on the issue, we instead yell and demean each other on social media whenever a new video surfaces where Namibians let their rage against the other spill out.
Then we log-off, pleased with our 'activism', but the sickness eating away at the health and future of our children, ignored.
The men who perpetrate these crimes, forcing children as young as four, eight, nine, 12 to have sex against their will, are spared our collective outrage, bile, hatred and opinions.
We as a community – including fathers, brothers, uncles, sons, must call on government and society to strengthen existing institutions and services, tackle the underlying factors that lead to rape and educate our girls, boys, men, and women that rape is not normal, okay or acceptable in this country or anywhere.
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Namibian Sun
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