Who will save the girls?

Warm new year greetings!

I have been missing in action since i joined PulseWire in 2009.....but look to be more active in 2012 and to reconnect with all the great women at PulseWire.

As a friend of mine took his daughter to school yesterday, he met another parent who had accompanied her 12 year old daughter to school, who recounted how a neighbour, a married man, had attempted to rape her daughter the previous day. The girls screaming is what saved her - it got the man scared and he abandoned his mission, but not without trying to get a pact with the girl to keep it secret, as all paedophiles do. The pact didnt hold for long - the girl reported the incidence to her mother, who promptly made a report with the police. As i listened, I could feel anger rising up my throat but was consoled by the fact that a report had been made and the police were looking to arrest the man.

Later in the evening, as i was watching news, there was a report of increased sexual violence especially against girls in one of the informal settlements in Nairobi. Apparently, because of the high POVERTY levels in the area, adult men dupe girls into sexual affairs...and what the girls get in return......a packet of french fries (or chips as we call them here), opportunity to watch TV...and such like worthless things. It got me angrier.....

Fast forward to today morning - my friend told me that the woman whose daughter almost got raped had accepted Ksh 40,000 from the pervert's family, and withdrew the case....and i almost blew my head over the roof. How could she do that? She not only betrayed her daughter but also let free a paedophile to continue 'plying his trade'. Sadly, this kind of things have become the norm....it is no wonder that sexual abuse of girls seems to be escalating....despite activism against the vise for over the last two decades.....

Who will save the girls, if those that are supposed to protect them 'sell' them for a few pieces of silver?

Carole