Predators roam because there’s lack of protection

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Last week, The Gleaner reported that a seven-year-old child was raped while heading home from school. Subsequently, the community rallied to comfort the students and families. The swift action of residents in apprehending the alleged perpetrator and handing him over to the police is commendable, as is the continued support for the traumatised school community.

In an earlier letter to the editor, ‘One swift rescue, thousands still in danger’, I warned that child sexual offences remain rampant. Those warnings are no less urgent today. How many more headlines like this must we wake up to before outrage turns into prevention? How many children must be dragged into vehicles or down lonely roads before we learn that predators thrive where protection is weak? And who are these men who prey on children? Do they not have daughters, sisters or nieces of their own? What kind of brute can look at a child and see an opportunity for violence?

The Gleaner reported several proposals such as repairing rural roads so that taxi operators can use those routes, ensuring children have safe transport instead of walking alone. Other recommendations include establishing walking wardens to escort students and creating a public sex offender registry. These must be implemented with urgency, not recycled as talking points after each assault.

Further safeguards that must become standard. Parents must also take responsibility for ensuring that their child is dropped off and collected from school by a trusted adult. For far too long, some parents allow their children to walk alone, but the times have changed and we must stop this practice. People often think harm cannot reach them until it does. This is not victim blaming. The responsibility for this assault lies solely with the predator. Yet families and schools can still strengthen their part in prevention. Schools must only release children to persons on an authorised list, verify with proper identification and, where necessary, confirm directly with parents before handing over a child. These are simple measures that can help close the gaps predators exploit.

Commendation is due to the community. Yet no amount of swift action can erase the horror of what this child endured. The real question now is this: how can we close the window of vulnerability that predators exploit once and for all?

SHANA-GAE REID