It is indeed a sad and sickening scenario when our nation's tender children are subjected to abuse, more specifically sexual abuse.Tell me, what could these children have done in all their innocence to deserve this? What adds icing to the cake is that the assault took place on a school compound.The school is supposed to be a safe haven for children. A place where parents can leave their children, go on their daily duties and return in the afternoon to pick them up with the guarantee that their children's safety was ensured.
But what happens when this is not the case? How comfortable would parents be to send their children to school now?And are schools really serving their purpose in this country? Or are they a playground for sexual predators and violent behaviour?
Furthermore, I would like to know what the Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Child Development and the Ministry of National Security, plans to do to deal with the situation as well as ensure that such a horrific act does not occur again. Yes it is just one incident, but it is one too many.The Ministry of Education has decided to provide counseling and support for these children, but is it enough? At this stage they are innocent and unaware to an extent of the seriousness of the situation.
But what happens when they become teenagers and go through adolescence? Won't they understand it fully then, or even misunderstand it? And can't that lead to a ton of underlying problems if not dealt with properly?Now, dealing with that 34-year-old molecule of a man who could not find anything else to occupy his sad life with but to molest eight innocent children and emotionally scar them for life–what is going to be his punishment? Would it be a life sentence? Because in my opinion even this would not be enough.
I say bring back the death sentence for heinous crimes such as this.Sex crimes such as rape and molestation should be punishable by death by all means, because the depression and trauma that victims of these crimes face is just inconsolable. Tell me, if the incident was not reported to the teacher wouldn't it have gone unpunished and unrecognised and isn't there a chance that this molecule of a man could have continued his barrage of assaults on these young bodies and tender emotions?
I would like to appeal to the Ministry of Education to partner with the relevant ministries and increase security patrols in school as well as provide all emotional support to the largest extent for these young minds for they are our tomorrow.
SM Pancham
Via e-mail