A December to Remember - Her mind may forget but her body will remember
A couple of years ago, the media’s attention was brought to a statement by a young man who stated on social media that he would 'chop' a young outstanding child: a 12-year-old star (He said his account was hacked and that he would never say such a thing).
Some people commented on the issue on social media and their comments gave me a pause. Those who were upset at his statement were branded feminists and uptight people who couldn’t take a joke.
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Some even said she could be treated like an adult because of what she did and how she carried herself. Seriously? A 12-year-old child? Others said it wasn’t a big deal at all and that we needed to discuss elections, Togoland and more important things. I was amazed. Is this the Ghana of my children?
Some years ago, when some students were sexually abused in a secondary school and the matter was being discussed on radio, a caller actually said 'sleeping with the school girls is the rural allowance for the teachers'. This is the Ghana we are leaving for our kids.
Child sexual abuse is no joking matter. Just ask Dr Enoch...
Baby defiled
Her mum had gone to a prayer camp to seek help. She left her 15-month old Baby Abena*(name changed) at home. But Baby fussed so much that her dad sent her to her mum at the prayer camp that December.
Baby Abena spent her time playing around on the floor, or fast asleep on her mum's back during the prayer sessions. She was just learning to walk and she kept falling down, crying and trying again. Learning to walk isn’t easy. Especially if you are a plump toddler.
But that December 31, her life changed forever. She could barely stay awake as the adults had their watch night service. Her mum picked her up and slipped out of the service. She laid her down on her mat in the dormitory where they lodged and then covered her warmly. It was a cold night.
And Abena's mum left.
Abena's mum came back to check up on her sleeping daughter after about an hour and Baby Abena was nowhere to be found. She raised the alarm and everyone came out to join the search.
Then they found her outside in the bushes barely alive.... Cold....Bleeding.... Defiled.
Call to doctor
Dr Enoch Dagoe had just finished putting his young daughter to bed when the call came from the district hospital. A little girl had been brought in half dead.
On reaching the emergency, and seeing Baby Abena, his heart stopped. He had seen a lot of bad cases in his life but this time he could not hold back tears as he saw the extent of damage done.
He took a deep breath and began to stabilise the toddler. Baby Abena was so cold and traumatised that she couldn’t even cry out in pain as they set a drip on her and took blood samples.
How could someone do this to such a young child?
The person had tried to penetrate the vagina of Baby Abena but it was too small and so he had used her anus instead. He had torn it apart. It was tattered. He had left her there, torn and bleeding, to die in the cold.
Dr Enoch’s diagnosis: Child Sexual Abuse. Child sexual abuse (CSA) is no joking matter.
Many times the family never reports it or settles it at home and the perpetrator walks free and the child remains bound as they bear the scars forever.
Everyone who works with children has too many stories to tell you about child sexual abuse and it’s on the increase in these COVID-19 days.
Some studies say one out of five girls and one out of 10 boys have suffered some form of sexual abuse. Children are abused at home, in school, in churches: everywhere and anywhere. And it’s not only poor kids who are abused but rich kids too.
To be continued...