Seven-year-old domestic worker's ordeal

The brutal torture of a seven-year-old domestic worker by her employer that has left her severely injured and in hospital will sicken most people who have a semblance of humanity in them. But besides the horror we may feel, we must address the underlying anomalies in our society that have led to this deplorable incident.

First of all, under all legal frameworks, a seven-year-old cannot be employed for any kind of work, least of all tasks only appropriate for an adult. Unfortunately, the reality is that poor parents are forced to send their children to work, no matter what the risk may be. But it is up to the state and society to ensure that these children are not subjected to abuse. It is beyond belief that the child's employer, a housewife, regularly resorted to extreme violence for the most trivial reason. This included pulling out the child's tooth, cutting off her hair and forcing her hand into boiling water. This looks like the work of a sociopath who, in any civilised society, would be apprehended and meted out the harshest of punishments. But in our country, unfortunately, so-called normal, respected members of society have committed these acts and got away with it, either because of who they are or who they are connected to, or simply because they can pay their way to circumvent the system. 

In this seven-year-old's case the court has sent the couple who employed them to jail, and we hope that the child will get justice for the nightmare she has been through, and the perpetrators their due penalty.