The matter came to light when the father of the victim somehow saw a copy of the recording via Whatsapp, and confronted his 11-year-old daughter. She then told him about being raped several times by her brother-in-law.
A police report was lodged, and the man was subsequently arrested, charged and he pleaded guilty to raping the girl. But this is hardly the end of the matter as there is a number of issues which are of concern and need to be addressed.
In this particular case, the 14-year-old, a child bride, was allegedly raped by this man prior to their marriage. Her situation was made worse by her husband forcing her to witness and record the rape of her younger sister.
Who ensures the best interests of the child in child marriages or is the practice simply to wash our hands of the matter once a wedding takes place? Are parents, child protectors and the authorities, who continue to sanction child marriages, monitoring the well-being of child brides?
And what of the 11-year-old who was raped? Apart from ensuring that she gets the correct support and counselling for the trauma she experienced, what of the other crimes committed upon her?
What steps are being taken to stop the circulation of the recording of her rape via VCD and Whatsapp? Are the authorities thinking of how to protect this rape victim’s identity and privacy, as stipulated under the Child Act 2001?
The fact that some people purchased the VCD of the sexual assault and others shared the video clip via Whatsapp without lodging a police report indicates the condoning of child rape by certain members of society.
How many people clicked to “share” the rape recording? Are we so desensitised to violence that we gawk at the crime as titillation, and perhaps even encourage others to do the same?
As a nation, we must stop sacrificing our children in this manner. Platitudes on the rights and protection of children carry on ad nauseum but, in the end, what we really need is concrete action that will make child rights and protections found in conventions and laws a reality.
While the fight to end child rape is a tough one, political will, a decent budget for resources and the courage to implement principles are starting points.
