Whereas some of the readers got the message that the subject of child sexual abuse is complex and could have multiple dimensions and approaches to its understanding, another group got the impression that there is (in my mind) some room for its acceptance and tolerance.
What is now clear to me is that the form, in which the article was written and published, left room for doubt as to the position of the author on the subject matter.
It is for that reason that this brief clarification is written. My view is that ALL acts of sexual abuse are, at all times criminal in nature, and must attract the full force of the law. There are no exceptions to the criminal nature of this act. If my article gave any other impression, then that was not my intention, and is not my view on the subject matter.
So strong and clear is my view on the subject, that last December, we launched a book titled, “Let’s talk about child sexual abuse”, what every girl and boy must know, it is a life skills guide for parents and children.
This is a book published by Kenya Literature Bureau, and whose writing I personally supervised. It is available in most bookshops. Briefly, the book summarizes the findings of a study done in Kenya that confirms that child sexual abuse is both common and largely ignored. Too many criminals go unpunished.
The book is intended as a life skills guide for both children and their parents. It highlights the need to be vigilant at all times, because perpetrators of child sexual abuse are mostly not strangers but often are brothers, cousins, uncles, grandparents among others close to the children.
It also encourages children to report any touches or approaches by adults that might make the child feel uncomfortable. The book details the types of acts that demand reporting.
Most importantly, parents and children are advised to report ALL such acts to the police at once. The subject of victimising the victim is also covered.
That book is a good reflection of my views on the subject, that it is common, serious and criminal.
All the article was intended to do, was to move to the next level, by suggesting that if the crime was not reported and acted on in good time, and if the passage of time has led to a change in the victim’s circumstances, then, as is to be found in the last paragraph of the opinion “seek the opinion of a parent, trusted friend or spiritual counsellor who would be able to look at the facts objectively.”
Emphasis is laid on the fact that I do not know all the facts that must be taken account of in this particular case, and hence the need to seek help first, before deciding on a course of action. The option of seeking help from the police must be alive at all times, but the changed circumstances must be factored in the response.
For the removal of doubt, there was no intention to trivialise this most emotive and important subject, and the intention was quite the opposite. To warn that if not properly handled, further victimisation could be the result.
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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
