In accordance with Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum, a total of 496 children were raped in different areas of the country in the last six months. Such a staggering rise in child rape cases underline the deep-seated problems in our society and remind us of the perils of child abuse.
From school assemblies to parliaments, we often hear that “children are the torch bearers of our future”. But are we being able to save these innocent lives from predators? The starling rise in child rape cases certainly provides us with the pessimistic answer to this question. When the rule of law is inadequate, perpetrators remain unaffected, especially when the authorities concerned respond in a way that does not protect the underprivileged victims. Stricter laws and more vigorous enforcement might help, but they are not enough. It is time for the government to adopt tough legal measures to prosecute child sexual abuse cases so that we are able to protect our future generations.
Stricter laws and more
vigorous enforcement might help,
but they are not enough
Experts have pointed out pornography, social and political unrest, degradation of social values and lack of awareness as the major reasons for the alarming rise in violence against children. Moreover, because of the social stigma associated with sexual violence, many of the incidents go unreported. In order to decrease the number of rapes and put an end to child sexual abuse, streamlining better processes to facilitate complaints and providing counselling and medical help are imperative. Raising public awareness on recognising and preventing all forms of abuse should be mandatory. The epidemic of sexual abuse of children has long been sidelined in Bangladesh and this must be changed to protect them.
