An unspeakable crime

It is impossible to describe in words the revulsion we feel to write about the unspeakable abuse of the five-year-old girl allegedly by Saiful Islam, 42, of Jamirhat village in Dinajpur town on Monday night. Have we become a society that knows not how to protect its children from such horrific crimes which have seen an alarming rise lately?

We want the highest punishment of the pedophile under law without procrastination. But there are deeper questions that need to be addressed. Should our responsibility as a society end with calling for justice or even delivering it? What is going to happen to the future of this child? Can the government and the society guarantee that she will have a normal life? What kind of social programmes does the country have in place for reforming criminals like Saiful? Can the government certify that he will not act again once he is out? And what about all the other children who are sexually abused but silently bear the torture?

We would like to take the law minister at face value when he assures the public of quick disposal of all murder and rape cases including this one. We hope that he keeps his word so that no child has to go through this in a country governed by laws. Failure to do so will erode the credibility of the legal system which is supposed to provide justice to the oppressed.

It is time the government stopped treating it as a mere law enforcement issue. We must acknowledge the reality of child abuse in our society and put an end to it. Social scientists should find out why such crimes against children are on the rise.

A society that cannot protect children is no society at all.