Gone too soon
Mmegi Editor | Tuesday August 29, 2017 11:04
The perpetrator is believed to be a boyfriend, who terrorised the family for a long time, to the point that he would take her to Selebi-Phikwe and spend days beating and threatening to kill her. The police have denied knowledge of previous reports of harassment, which the family claims had been lodged, putting the agency’s vision “to be a law enforcement agency of repute” into disrepute.
The agency needs to guard against such incidents by sticking to its mission of providing “professional policing service, in partnership with the community” in all its aspects of policing and crime prevention. However, what is more disturbing is the fact that the two parental figures – the mother and the grandmother – allowed a man to physically and sexually abuse an underage girl for a long time before he cut her life short. It is even more disheartening to learn that the grandmother at some point tried to stop the relationship with suggestions that the man should bring his parents over for talks. Such scenarios are appalling in the least that a child is exploited by a man with no good intention for her, but these things happen everyday, especially in rural areas where poverty is rife.
The scenario is a clear case of lack of understanding of the law that protects everyone including such young girls, whose innocence is stolen and youth is exploited for lengthy a time. There is no room for negotiation in a sexual affair between a grown-up man and an underage girl as the scale tips in favour of the one with the power in such politics.
The police should have acted without hesitation to protect the young girl and her family upon receiving the first report, which supposedly happened in the period of early this year or late last year, as the agency in its mission “pledges a service characterised by a high level of skill, competence, speed and attention to emerging policing challenges”. We will never achieve anything in the fight against child sexual exploitation and domestic violence if the police do not play their role in protecting such vulnerable citizens from such criminals. It is common these days to report a criminal offence to the police only for them to show up at the scene five hours later, or in the worst case scenario, not at all. The Commissioner of Police, Keabetswe Makgophe recently declared war on violent crimes, but he can only succeed if all in the community, including his charges, play their role in making the streets and our homes safer again.
Whilst the suspect and his accomplice are still at large, it is not uncommon for perpetrators in such cases following arrest, to be granted bail after two appearances in court. Worst case scenario, the bail could enable him to continue terrorising or even killing the remaining members of the family.
However, in this case it is difficult to appreciate how a 15-year-old girl could have an older boyfriend whose main objective was to consistently abuse and finally end her life. We appeal to mothers and young girls to report to the police any such affairs involving older men and underage girls. It is a crime that should not be ignored nor encouraged under any circumstance.
Today’s thought
“The Bible insists that the best test of a nation’s righteousness is how it treats the poorest and most vulnerable in its midst.”
– Unknown