Who will raise these children? - the Peter O'Connor commentary

The recent revelations about little children who are impregnated by mostly older men, and the claim that thousands of abortions are performed each year, are stripping away the remnants of presumed decency in our society.

But what, if anything, does this truly mean to us—about what is happening around us now and how all this will manifest itself in the years ahead? Oh yes! We cluck our disapproval, shoot off some smart-ass one-liners on facebook, and head out to lime and fete. 

After all, “is not my child, is them!” Therefore this news does not impact upon our lives, so we are not going to bestir ourselves in any meaningful way. And for the future? “Come nuh! This is Trinidad, Gord will take care of the future”!

There are two issues regarding the present: The first is the ongoing rape of little girls by their fathers, stepfathers, “stepfathers” (their mother’s current man), teachers and sometimes strangers. The second issue is the pregnancies. We can safely assume that there are many more rapes than there are pregnancies. It would of course be “better” if the children being raped did not become pregnant, I suppose. 

But how can one prevent the pregnancies among little children who are defenseless against the rapes? And we must consider, among the horrors of the number of cases of child pregnancies, that many rapes must be occurring where the rapists (fathers, stepfathers, “stepfathers” and teachers) might be using condoms to prevent pregnancies and therefore exposure of their shameful deeds.

So who can protect these little children from the evil being done to them? Remember many children are told by the rapists that they will be killed if they speak up, so they maintain their silence in terror and in shame. At least until their bellies start to swell. But then what happens?

It seems we blame the child. Oh, we give her “counseling”, and maybe try to keep her in school. But part of her is no longer a child, part of her has become a woman, and I suggest that no one who has not been there can understand. How do we nurture her, educationally, emotionally and maternally? And what becomes of her child? Who will raise the child when the little mother returns to school? And how? Just like her, to be pregnant at twelve or thirteen? Or with a gun and bravado?

And what of the rapist? That father, stepfather, “stepfather” or teacher? Surprisingly, if it is a stranger he is more likely to be sought and prosecuted than if he was one of the little girl’s “protectors”. 

What we know is that the the number of males prosecuted for statutory rape and incest is minimal compared to the number of cases. And paternity can be proven quite easily. So who should instigate the investigation and prosecution of big “hard back” men who are consistently raping the little girls whom they should be protecting? The police need a “report” of the incident before they can begin an investigation. 

But the doctors who examine the child and find her pregnant say that they cannot report the matter. They cite patient confidentiality, their own safety, and suggest that if they start reporting these cases there will be multiple deaths from illegal abortions.

So the rapists are going to continue to be protected by the doctors? Because someone is going to hunt down and kill doctors for reporting something as obvious as pregnancies? And for every pregnancy “reported” (I mean these pregnancies are facts!) will the rapist spirit the child off to a quack abortionist? Do you believe all this? I do not, but I am not going to debate that aspect here and now. 

So the doctors will deliver the child, of the child, teach the child how to hold and nurse it and send the child back into the house to be raped again? And a Birth Certificate will be made, and the name of a “father” will be recorded. But nothing will be done to him. Are you prepared to continue to accept this state in our society today?

And now to our future: The girl children born of these rapes will generally suffer the same fate, for they will be taught nothing, they will have no example set for them to be any different. The boy children will grow to be the rapists, and worse.

For who is raising these children, and how? Who is teaching them the basic tenets of a civilized society--- love, compassion, decency, honesty, sympathy, respect, obedience and basic skills like reading and writing? I suggest the answer is no one, and thousands are growing up, becoming as anarchic and disorderly as a rat pack.

And we are doing nothing—absolutely nothing—about that.