Justice is Not Just to All: Stolen Innocence

I sit with a sackful of qualms as I watch this seven year old girl play with my children. Despite the saying that time heals, she really does not fully comprehend what be fell her a year ago-her later life will be a wretched one The girl's name is Jane, my neighbor's (Lucy) only daughter and child. Sometime last year the worst that could ever happen to a girl child came knocking. As most studies have concluded, child sexual harassment is by people who are close to the child; this includes the father, brothers, uncles, cousins and all others that are entrusted to provide love and protection to the child. In Jane's case, it was the uncle; her dad's brother. A few years ago, the biological father passed on, leaving the younger uncle as the guardian to the family of two-the mother and the daughter. Traditionally, the younger brother to the deceased inherits the wife and children as a way to avoid the wife being married outside the family. To me, this is a primitive custom which should be shunned at all cost. The window should have the right to choose her next husband.

Sorry, I did not tell you that the crime was not committed once by many times till the Almighty decided to unveil all what was happening in darkness. On this material day, the mother had gone out seeking causal work to subsidized what the acting dad put on the table. The new husband had shammed not to feel well and had to be left at home with the girl for the schools were closed. At lunch time, the dad by the name of John asked Jane to bring food to him in the bedroom pretending to be too weak. As usual, he performed his heinous act of rape on the girl for several minutes. To keep Jane quiet, he always threatened to kill her while at the same time convincing her that no one would believe her story-even her real mother. In the presence of the mother, and other people he acted as a very loving caretaker showering her with complements and gifts thus no one would ever have suspected his character. Disappointingly, no one came to notice that Jane never really appreciated the gimmicks.

After, several rounds of raping her, she could not bear it no more, she eventually screamed. By coincidence my wife was passing by and answered the cry for help. When ran to the source of the screams-the bedroom, she was dismayed to find John, the uncle on top of a totally naked Jane. My wife Kate grabbed a chair and hit the half naked John into a coma. Then she ran out screaming at the top of her voice holding the nude girl in her arms. In jiffy, neighbors assembled in the compound and threatened to lynch him. Lucky for him, someone had called the police who whisked him away to the police station. Jane was immediately taken to the hospital for test to confirm the rape or defilement and treatment; the tests came out positive. Despite the positive results, there was no cause for celebration for they also revealed that she had been infected with the deadly virus HIV. Later, she was taken to the police station to record her statement. My Kate too recorded her statement and was declared as a key witness in the case.

When her mother received the news, she was so devastated and immediately fell into denial for she could not believe all these happened under her nose. Out of anger, she burnt everything that belonged to John in the house. She also vowed not to ever let him step into her house no matter what the stone age customs had for her. She too recorded a statement with the police a midst threats from the village elders. The idiotic and chauvinistic old men reasoned that the case could be sorted out traditionally and was improper for a wife to accused ones husband in public.

After a few days, John was taken to court where her vehemently denied all the charges. This marked the genesis of a very painful journey for Lucy and her daughter Jane. The society that was and is still blindly following the traditions branded both the mother and the daughter as outcasts. No one wanted to associate with them except me and my family making us join the bandwagon of the village rejects. To me, this broke no bone for I knew that I would feel the same if it was my child who had being disrespected to a such degree. Honestly speaking,if it were my daughter I could be in jail right now for murder.

John being well situated financially than Jane and I waded his way through corruption and was released in a week pending the courts verdict. While outside as a free man, he maneuvered his way by buying and canvassing for support from elders, friend, the law and even some evil religious leaders who campaigned for forgiveness. John also hired a bar of counselors who really dismantled all the evidence and witnesses. The worst was illustrated by their onslaught on Jane. This kept her crying all through the cross examination and many days later. After a month, the court declared John innocent on basis of lack of enough proof beyond reasonably doubts. This came as a surprise to many who were supporting the incarnation of John.

The lives of Lucy and Jane we drastically altered. They rare appear in public for they trust no one except my family for we firmly stood with in trying times. They also clearly live in fear of John for they do not know what he has on his sleeve for them in future.

Today, John still comfortably lives with us. In effort to cleanse him self, he has married a new wife and has a daughter. We pray everyday that the daughter will never go through what her cousin did. We are always watching him not to commit the same crime on Lucy or any other child in the village. I believe that if he ever repeats it again, he will definitely face the wrath of the people. We have tried to forgive him, but we can not forget. May God do his wish upon him-Amen.