There is nothing more ghastly than seeing your own child been raped especially as young as five.
Take the case of the under-aged school girl who was reported to have been raped by one Babucarr Krubally, a Malian national.
It was reported that Mr. Krubally sent the victim to the shop to buy coke drink and bread, and when the girl got into his house, he bounced on her.
Rape is abominable and must not be condoned in our society.
But we are glad to see that the culture of silence on rape is being broken in our society. Not too long ago, such things were ever talked about. They were covered up in the name of whatever. Now that rape-victims themselves are beginning to speak up, we are on our way to dealing with the menace once and for all.
No society could exist if all people just did as they pleased, without regard for the right of the others. Nor could a society exist if members did not recognise that they also have certain obligations towards one another.
The law thus establishes the rules that defines a person's right and obligations.
Unless the victim of such uncivilised and inhumane exploit fails to avail himself, or is unaware of the protection of justice, which the judiciary embodies.
As a human race, we must not tolerate arrogant subjection of individuals to such naked cruelty. We should show nobility of character to make our world a better and safe place.
And rape perpetrators ought to have known, with the benefit of hindsight of the recent decision of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court presided over by Principal Magistrate Basiru B. Mahoney to sentenced Babucarr Krubally to a mandatory jail term of eight years' imprisonment, that there is no place to the kind of reign in our society.
We call on government to impose maximum penalty on perpetrators of rape.
Once it is established that the act is not consensual, the perpetrator should go in for life. We hold that one reason for the rise of rape cases in our society is that the law is lenient on offenders. If a perpetrator knows that he will be jailed for life, he might think twice before taking off his pants
