Ready to tackle crime - what about child sexual abuse?

Dear Editor

I write in response to the letter sent in by T Markandan from Silverglen: “Ready to tackle crime” published on Tuesday, 11 August 2009 in the Cape Times.

We can admire many people for wishing for an ideal world “where a girl [?] can leave a club at 2am and walk unaccompanied and reach home without being attacked or raped” [Bheki Cele].
This is an idealistic dream, and it may liberate us from criminals and criminality.
But realistically, we do not live in that world.

Mr Cele has not yet given the citizens of SA his strategy for ensuring that this would become a reality. It is all fine and well saying that he is strongly against the rape of women and children – I think all rational, reasonable and well balanced people are too. Having a tough stance on criminals is a great start.

What we need is a plan of action and implementation thereof, which includes some of the following:
* Empowering all people through education and information about child sexual abuse;
* Empowering the Community Policing Forums and Victim Empowerment groups with more [quantity] qualified professionals to assist victims and their families;
* Making education and information regarding sexual abuse available to all schools and all communities;
* Make known the methods used by child sexual predators;
* Make resources available to prevent child sexual abuse;
* Make sure that our police personnel have access to non-stigmatised help to assist them in dealing with these heinous crimes that they face daily.
* No bail for even first time offenders of sexual crimes.

The taboo of talking about child sexual abuse has reached a similar epidemic proportion as child sexual abuse itself.

Let us not be impressed by lip-service. Show us a strategic action plan and implementation thereof with haste - where we can say that our new National Police Commissioner has proven his mettle.

I am sure then we’ll know that he hasn’t disappointed those whom he is to serve and protect.


Norah Papanicolaou