Sexual abuse of minors: Return of the barbarians?

THE gruesome murder of a eight year old girl after rape by some unidentified hoodlums has shattered the nation. To violate an eight year-old girl who did not understand the meaning of sex is simply barbaric. On the morning of February 4 when people read the news, a chill ran up the nation's spine.
Just weeks before, the nation learnt about the rape of Sheuly, a five year old. She was strangled to death after rape by a neighbouring youth.
Sadly enough, both the murders were committed in broad daylight. Sheuly was taken to a lonely place in the morning, and the killer was no stranger to the child. Moyna was abused while she was playing with her younger brother in their house. As people learn about the dastardly sexual assault on minors in Bangladesh through the internet, they might comment: "There are no devils left in hell, they are all in Bangladesh now."
The spurt of violence against children is more than alarming. Precisely true, crimes and criminality exist in every society, but sexual violation of minors manifests a sort of depravity which unless checked immediately will tear apart the entire social fabric.
Years ago two such incidents of rape provoked violent public outcry. In both the cases, the offenders could not be apprehended, or there was hardly any vigorous attempt to bring the culprits to book. Coming back to either Sheuly or Moyna's case, the poor victims were killed when they screamed and tried to resist the violation.
Sure enough, the resentment generated in the conscious citizenry and the outrage stoked are far from ebbing even days after the incident. Even as conscious citizenry hang their head in shame, a nation with the slightest of human virtue still alive must go numb with shock and trepidation. It is as if we all have a personal bereavement. What is more disturbing is that such "grotesque" crimes have a tendency to catch on. Those acts occurring with such alarming frequency prove that a sizable section of the society is being quickly criminalised.
"What ails our society?" Why are such criminal and murderous instincts increasingly getting the better of self-restraint, ethics, and religious virtues? If some deep-rooted psychological factor is interfering with decent living and societal balance, it should be diagnosed and the cause identified. It is not very unnatural in our country that every time such dastardly acts take place, people are naturally outraged and loud protests are voiced by all, especially the human rights activists. But, as it often happens, when the alleged offenders go away with impunity, they feel emboldened to commit crimes of greater enormity.
The law enforcers' reluctance to tackle such crimes makes the situation worse. In many cases, the law enforcers themselves are to blame. If the present rate of criminalisation of the whole society, including the police personnel, goes unabated, every democratic norm and value will be thrown to the wind.
The society must root out the fast spreading cancer. Some human rights groups and women activists voice their protests the moment the news comes out, but unfortunately the policy makers and law-makers do not seem to be seriously perturbed. Security of children is the most essential part in the growth of a democratic and healthy society. It must be guaranteed by the state.
Sexual abuse hurts children both physically and psychologically. When such violence keeps on occurring one may think that, apart from individual aberrations, a lot of other things are wrong with the society and the culture that allows such perverse propensity. It may be that due to social conflict and unrest, some individuals are becoming dehumanised. The other cause; the pressure of population and unwholesome living condition is desensitising some people to all tenderness and human values to the point that animal lust is getting the better of the inhibitions they had inherited.
Nevertheless, instances where the judiciary has stepped in to amend a blatantly discriminating sexist law are nowhere to be seen. Also there are gaping holes in the legal system itself. On the other hand, many of the rapes had a lot to do with the presence of musclemen trying to establish their domain everywhere.
It makes us shudder with shock and trepidation to see how people are suffering due to a malignant social growth -- the emergence of musclemen. Their sphere of activities is expanding day by day as people, scared of retaliation, prefer to remain silent. And that's why Delwar, father of Moyna, says in a voice charged with grief and despair: "I know I will get justice for the crime committed on my loving daughter. I want to prefer appeal to Allah for punishment of this brutality." Such helplessness means a vast populace of the country are hostage to these evil forces.
The fact that gangsters operate under the protective umbrella of their godfathers has made the situation worse.No amateurish effort to dislodge the professional criminals can succeed unless all parties in the country agree to rein in the criminals without fear or favour.
Until and unless we can stop repetition of such grisly crimes, every Bangladeshi shall consciously remain guilty of the of the sexual abuse of Moyna, Shewly, Afroza and many others that remain unreported. That calls for every man, woman and child to be united as never before; by a collective sense of revulsion.
Md. Asadullah Khan is a former teacher of physics and Controller of Examinations, BUET. e-mail : [email protected]