THE EDITOR, Sir:

The recent reports of rape and abuse of the nation's children have left me with one question: Who will fight for these children who have been scarred for the rest of their lives?

Rape and abuse are not new to our island, but they have taken on a whole different dimension, to the extent that the age and sex of the victim are no deterrent to the perpetrators.

Like many Jamaicans, I am disheartened to see the type of animals that some of our men have become. What have they found so appealing about a child's body that they are willing to exploit it in some of the most disgraceful and demeaning ways? Something is wrong with the psyche of our men, and rape cannot be allowed to be the order of the day, or else vigilante justice will reign.

I believe that the killing of Donovan Hazley in Trelawny in reprisal for the deaths of Jahvanie and Alex Brown is a foreshadowing of things to come if our leaders do not get the legislation in place or take drastic actions against persons who brutally rape and kill the most vulnerable among us.

NO CONFIDENCE

The people of Jamaica no longer have confidence in the justice system, and all too often rapists are either given slap-on-the-wrist sentences or get away scot-free. We are fed up with the statements from our leaders who 'condemn these acts'. Your condemnation is of little help to the victims and will not go any further in apprehending perpetrators. The people of Jamaica need action; in fact, they demand action.

The Vision 2030 document seeks to position Jamaica as the place of choice to live, raise families and do business, but who will want to raise their families or live in a place where rape and other crimes are the order of the day?

Jamaica is a different place now than when it was founded an independent nation, as we have descended into such a quagmire that seems to have no end in sight.

One case of rape is too much, and we cannot take this trend lightly. We are a nation in crisis, and the people are rattling their sabres. The sounds of discontent and anger are growing louder every day, to the point where a volcano-like eruption is ominous. Anarchy and vigilante justice will become the order of the day if we do not remedy this situation appropriately.

No one is safe anymore, and in a bid to get rid of the bad weeds, even the slightest hint that a person is a molester, whether it is true or false, will result in sudden death, including of innocents. The people have signalled their intent. What will the Government do?

NARDIA GRANT

nardiaj@gmail.com