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Jail child rapists for life!
May 22, 2004
Child rapists and other sex attackers get a second chance, while their victims
suffer a life sentence of emotional trauma and social stigma, says a Bahraini
activist calling for dramatic changes.
Child rapists should be executed, or at the very least face life imprisonment,
says Shura Council member Dr Fakhriya Diari. The law is already there, but
judges are too lenient, leaving victims to pay the higher price, says the child
care expert.
"Although the punishment for raping a girl under the age of 16 can be as harsh
as execution or life imprisonment, in practice the punishment is minimised,"
she told the GDN.
"Often the man can pay a fine and get out.
"Meanwhile the community will not accept the victim and no-one will marry her.
"Who pays for this crime? The girl and her family pay, while the man is out and
can go on and on attacking girls.
"He should at least be imprisoned for life."
Dr Diari, who has a PhD in maternal and child healthcare, has drawn up a series
of recommendations to protect children from sexual abuse and deal with the
perpetrators.
These include implementing existing legislation and drawing up new legislation
to give better protection to children.
"We do have child protection laws, but many of them are not being implemented,"
she said.
"We also need to draw up legislation which defines the rights of children and
protects them."
Dr Diari was speaking after officially asking acting Interior Minister and
Transportation Minister Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa what the ministry was
doing to prevent child sexual abuse.
Her question was answered in the Shura Council by Under-Secretary Major General
Shaikh Daij bin Khalifa Al Khalifa on Shaikh Ali's behalf.
"The ministry is working hard to minimise the number of sexual attacks on
children and I am very thankful that my questions were answered in full," said
Dr Diari.
"We were told that the number of sex attacks on children aged below 15 years
had decreased from 201 in 2002 to 80 in 2003."
However, sexual abuse is a crime which often goes unreported, she said.
Dr Diari was pleased to hear that the ministry was making a concerted effort,
including stepping up patrols around schools, playgrounds and other places
where children gather, but added that there was always room for improvement.
It is essential for the Interior, Health and Education Ministries to work
together with women's societies, the media and the community to prevent child
abuse, identify and support victims and punish offenders, she said.
Families are the first line of defence when it comes to protecting children and
they must be better educated about their role and the potential dangers.
"The most important people are parents and family," said Dr Diari.
"They have to know where their children are at all times and not allow them out
on their own, where they may easily become victims.
"The government cannot protect children if the families do not do their job as
well."
Families must also report abuse when they become aware of it, regardless of who
the perpetrator is or their fear of potential social consequences.
"Parents should not forgive those who attack their children by not reporting
it," said Dr Diari.
"For example when it comes to physical abuse, there are some cases where a
father has abused a child, who has then been taken to hospital.
"The mother will refuse to report it, perhaps because she is afraid of what
will happen when she goes home.
"Or they may be afraid that the information will get out and their child will
be isolated in the community. We need to come up with legislation which
punishes those who do not report these crimes."
Children who have been sexually abused are genuinely innocent victims who do
not deserve to be ostracised, said Dr Diari and more awareness needs to be
raised through the media and social organisations to reinforce the point.
Once people begin to realise this and the stigma decreases, the families may be
more willing to report such crimes.
It is also vital that children themselves understand what behaviour is
inappropriate and what they should do if they are molested.
"Children in elementary schools should be taught about their own bodies in an
age-appropriate manner," said Dr Diari.
"They need to know what to do if someone touches them, for example to run away,
scream and tell others.
"Bigger children should be taught self defence."
The Internet is a new threat, added Dr Diari and parents and teachers should be
supervising youngsters closely when they are online to ensure they are not
lured to meetings with child abusers.
If children do become victims, they should be treated sympathetically by
authorities.
"I was very pleased to hear from Shaikh Daij that the women police talk to the
children in a very calm and respectful way, a mothering way," said Dr Diari.
However, she recommended that police and school social workers be given regular
refresher courses to ensure that they deal with victims in the best possible
way.
Dr Diari has recommended that a counselling service be set up for victims, as
well as a shelter to provide temporary accommodation for children who have been
abused by a family member.
The service could include a telephone hotline for those who are afraid of being
identified and face-to-face meetings.
"If a child is abused by a family member, then he may be returned to the family
and vulnerable to further attacks," said Dr Diari.
"At the shelter the child could be protected from the abuser and can also be
counselled. Although a child is an innocent victim he may blame himself for
what happened.
"It is very difficult to talk to your close relatives about what happened, but
you can talk to a stranger."
The child would be returned to the family once the situation had been resolved,
said Dr Diari.
Counselling is vitally important for victims and may even prevent abusers from
reoffending.
"The majority of rapists were themselves raped as children," said Dr Diari.
"While they are in prison they could receive counselling which may prevent them
from doing it again once they are released and legislation should be introduced
to make this compulsory.
"The spiritual aspect is also important. They should be encouraged to read the
Quran while in jail, which tells them again and again that you should not abuse
any one."
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