Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Be prepared, not scared

The other day, I saw this programme on TV, about sex offenders and child molesters. Our little country made the news when Dutroux was captured, after abusing and killing several young girls. Those actions make me really sick to my stomach. How can one protect its children against these child molesters? Is there any way to prevent this will ever happen to your child?

Be prepared, not scared is a good motto. But how on earth do you ever prepare a child to prevent it from being abused or taken away from its family? It's not that you can use your own experience. At least I hope none of you had to go through any of this in your childhood! Let's hope not!

I believe people (both men and women! and don't forget women can be abusers too!!) that molest children are absolutely sick and evil. They need to get treatment before they start the actual abuse. Their partner or family (if they have one) should recognize the signs. Think of the Austrian man Fritzl and his family. His wife never knew.. Isn't that awful? How can you not know about your husband abusing your daughters? How can you pretend and look the other way? How can someone hide your child and grandchildren for so many years in a basement in the back of your garden without you knowing it?

I always tell my children not anyone can hit or abuse them! Nobody has the right to hurt them in any way. And they should always tell me or someone they trust if they are being hurt, physically or mentally. Not a single child deserves to be molested, no matter what it has done to upset the other. Because that's not what it's about. It's about power and dominating the other. It's about lust and it's about low self esteem of the perpetrator.

Whenever I see a parent or some other adult hit a child, there's a knot in my stomach. I always want to go up to that person and tell them to stop hurting the child. But how can you indeed help the child? What can you do? You can't take the child home to comfort it and give it the love it needs.

I hear there are so many offenders. In fact, we know there's one in our small town. He has abused several young girls for a couple of years. He and his family still live in the same neighborhood, around the same children he abused. Where's justice...


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