By Princes Olufemi – Kayode

Why am I dwelling on empathy? It is the foundation on which any positive reaction can be built on.  For re-emphasis, what is empathy? According to Dictionary.com, empathy is the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. When is Empathy required?

In a case of child sexual abuse or rape of a young adult or women or man, the system acknowledges a crime has been perpetuated. However, that is where it ends.

Empathy develops the ability to have compassion towards other beings. As discussed last week, our emotional outburst and feelings about ‘where these so called wicked inhuman people come from’ has brought forth no significant changes to the lives of victims and their families. Even the law, enforcement and process have only compounded matters.

Lets’ look at a scenario here, Oluchi is an eight year old girl who has was discovered to have been having sex with two teenage boys in the compound she lives with her parents. The discovery was by chance. In that the two boys were engaged in a dispute and in the course, the younger one opened up to the mother of the girl that we have been having sex with your daughter.

No parent has been prepared or equipped to manage the news that their child ‘baby’ in quote has been engaged and involved in sexual intercourse. I remember a mother of one of our clients swearing that it should happen to anyone who is making a mockery and delay in getting justice.

The foundation that is not rightly set will continue to falter until a serious round table of all concerned which includes you and me is called for. The same people a victim runs to, tear the victim down. When a state prosecutor is informing a mother of a victim that no one can force the child victim to witness and they can request for a withdrawal and the same goes with some police officers, including some top officers who call for a village square meeting that involves the whole parties, the little child and her family, the accuse and his family and they asked to narrate the incident. Secondary trauma for all involved even the family of the perpetrator.

The entire criminal justice system comprising of the police, health practitioners, police prosecutors, state prosecutors, the judiciary, the media, families, neighbours and the community continuously traumatised, their families and families of the perpetrators.

Our justice oriented system has failed us regardless of the good intentions that it has to mete justice. The same system favours perpetrators who escape justice every day. If I lie, let somebody with opposing information answer the public. It is too much!!!

To be continued next week. Comments  and reactions are welcomed