STORM IN A TEACUP

STORM IN A TEACUP

Written By : Saba S. Stephen

James T. Walsh once said: “The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is one of the most vicious crimes conceivable, a violation of mankind’s most basic duty to protect the innocent.” For a sexual sin to become a sexual crime, age and consent are the two key elements that come into play. If the victim is an adult with no consent, we call it rape. But if the victim is a helpless child, what do we call it? It is a barbarity of highest degree that leaves ugly marks on the face of so-called humanity. The aftermath of such vile sexual crimes are hard to swallow, let alone digest. The traumatized souls are damaged for life emotionally, mentally, and sometimes even physically. Trapped in the never-ending misery of sexual ill-treatment, the victims hardly ever recover.

                                                     STORM IN A TEACUP

“I don’t think I can trust anyone with my baby.” My cellphone buzzed with a message in the middle of the night. It was from one of my high school best friends after a long, long time. Strangely, the text message had no chic acronyms and internet slangs so I instantly knew she was on pins and needles. I asked her if everything was okay at her end, and assured her that she could always open up to me about anything and everything, and then her reply went into the ‘typing’ mode for quite some time.

“Tomorrow is my little girl’s first day at school. I taught her to keep her distance from the van driver, the gatekeeper, the canteen guy, and the sickbay nurse. I also enlightened her about the no-no zones on her body, and took her in complete confidence that she must come to me or her father if someone touches her inappropriately. Although I have equipped her innocent mind with all the necessary information, I still don’t feel like trusting anyone anymore. Am I missing something? Did I cover all bases? What should I do now?”

That night I stayed in bed tossing and turning with unsettling thoughts. The text message from my best friend uncovered the ruthless reality of our society in the worst possible way. I remembered the time when I had started going to school; the things my parents worried about were uniform, books, and stationary while such subject was treated as a taboo. No one stripped me of my innocence way before time which today’s parents are forced to do – since awareness could probably be the only saving grace in this grave situation.

Child sexual abuse cases are rising day by day in our country. The surge in these cases are causing modern-day parents to take 10-15 years of innocence off their child’s childhood. A recent report revealed that child sexual abuse cases in Pakistan have increased from nine cases per day in 2017 to 12 cases per day in 2018. Out of the total reported cases, 74% were from rural areas while 26% were from urban areas. Such numbers are extremely shocking for a conservative nation like Pakistan. These circumstances are leaving educated parents with no option but to expose their children to the naked realities of life in an attempt to save them from potential sexual abuse.

All living beings are slaves to their bodily needs, but the trait that sets human beings apart is their consciousness. Child abusers, however, are totally oblivious to such innate awareness. They are constantly on a lookout for their next victim like savage beasts, thus weaving a legacy of misery that could endure through generations. These heartless predators not only molest the poor victims’ bodies but rape their unscathed futures too.

James T. Walsh once said: “The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is one of the most vicious crimes conceivable, a violation of mankind’s most basic duty to protect the innocent.” For a sexual sin to become a sexual crime, age and consent are the two key elements that come into play. If the victim is an adult with no consent, we call it rape. But if the victim is a helpless child, what do we call it? It is a barbarity of highest degree that leaves ugly marks on the face of so-called humanity. The aftermath of such vile sexual crimes are hard to swallow, let alone digest. The traumatized souls are damaged for life emotionally, mentally, and sometimes even physically. Trapped in the never-ending misery of sexual ill-treatment, the victims hardly ever recover.

Years and years of ignorance have shaped us into directionless beasts who could devour anything that threatens their orthodox sentiments. Instead of resurrecting our children’s future with education and opportunities, we are stripping them of their innocence with lightning speed. Amid this chaotic reality, it’s high time to open up our repressed mindsets before it’s too late. Confining to stereotypical roles should no longer come at the cost of robbing children of their carefree childhood. Society must own up to its flaws, unapologetically, without seeking validation from cultural norms in order to fully correct itself.

The truth is, we live in a society where growing number of mentally sick adults are fantasizing about making out with toddlers. It’s time to face the reality as it is, not as we wish it would be, and leave no stone unturned to make this monstrous world a better place for our children. Perhaps this irrational longing for sexual gratification could be curbed by brothels of consenting adults, for we can choose the depth of our sins like we choose the size of our virtues. But sadly, even in a whirlpool of such horrid crime against children, the word ‘brothel’ alone could still raise a storm in a teacup.