FORMER MALACCA CHIEF MINISTER TAN SRI ABDUL RAHIM TAMBY CHIK STRESSED THAT HE HAD ”NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY” TO REVEAL WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE SEX ACT.LIKE
BACK IN 1994, THE THEN CHIEF MINISTER OF MALACCA, ABDUL RAHIM THAMBY CHIK, WAS REPORTED TO HAVE RAPED A 15-YEAR-OLD SCHOOLGIRL (UNDER MALAYSIAN LAW, SEX WITH A MINOR CONSTITUTES STATUTORY RAPE). LIM GUAN ENG, CURRENTLY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG AND THE THEN MP FOR KOTA MELAKA, SPOKE OUT AGAINST THE RAPE OF A MINOR AFTER THE GIRL’S GRANDMOTHER-CUM-GUARDIAN, WHO WAS ALSO LIM’S CONSTITUENT, TURNED TO HIM FOR HELP.
15HOWEVER, FAR FROM DESERVING JUSTICE, BOTH LIM AND THE SCHOOLGIRL RECEIVED THEIR “DUES”. LIM WAS JAILED FOR THREE YEARS FOR SPEAKING UP AGAINST THE RAPE WHILE THE GIRL WAS GIVEN THREE YEARS “PROTECTIVE CUSTODY”. AS FOR RAHIM, BECAUSE OF THE RAPE AND PENDING CORRUPTION CHARGES, HE WAS FORCED TO RESIGN, AFTER A 12-YEAR STINT AS MALACCA’S CHIEF MINISTER.
BUT THE JUDICIARY SAW RAHIM ESCAPE PUNISHMENT FOR A CRIME COMMITTED; THIS CAME ABOUT AFTER THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR WITHDREW THE CHARGE CITING LACK OF EVIDENCE. THE CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST RAHIM WERE ALSO DROPPED
In an observation that is bound to spark a debate, a trial court on Saturday advocated the use of "chemical castration" as an alternative to a jail term for rapists.
Additional sessions judge Kamini Lau said, "The Indian legislatures are yet to... address the issue (of rape) with all seriousness by exploring the possibility of permitting imposition of alternative sentences of surgical castration or chemical castration, particularly in cases involving rape of minors, serial offenders and child molesters or as a condition for probation, or as an alternative sentence in case of plea bargaining."
Delhi additional sessions judge Kamini Lau suggested castration as an alternative punishment for rapists while hearing the case against a man who had raped his 15-year-old step-daughter for over four years. Though the court sentenced him to 10 year of rigorous imprisonment, it said that such crimes were required to be addressed differently. "A full public debate, with regard to imposition of castration (both surgical and chemical) as an alternative punishment for the offence of rape and molestation, is the need of the hour," ASJ Lau said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on convict Dinesh Yadav, 35, a labourer by profession.
It directed that a copy of the order be sent to the secretary of ministry of law and justice, Government of India and national commission for women.
The Indian Penal Code provides only a jail term for sexual offenders. Countries like USA, UK, Germany, etc, have started using chemical castration as an alternative. Chemical castration is administration of medication designed to reduce libido and sexual activity, usually in the hope of preventing rapists, child molesters and other sex offenders from repeating their crimes. In surgical castration, the testes or ovaries are removed through an incision in the body. Medical experts, however, are divided on the efficacy of the method.
The judge observed that though the method is "not the perfect solution to inhibit child molestation", it certainly discourages sexual assault better than incarceration.
The court expressed its apprehension that the idea may get panned by activists. "I am not oblivious of the fact that arguments are bound to be raised against the above by some activists, but in my view, it would be sheer hypocrisy given the damage the rapist and sexual predators do to their victims,'' the judge added.
Additional sessions judge Kamini Lau said, "The Indian legislatures are yet to... address the issue (of rape) with all seriousness by exploring the possibility of permitting imposition of alternative sentences of surgical castration or chemical castration, particularly in cases involving rape of minors, serial offenders and child molesters or as a condition for probation, or as an alternative sentence in case of plea bargaining."
Delhi additional sessions judge Kamini Lau suggested castration as an alternative punishment for rapists while hearing the case against a man who had raped his 15-year-old step-daughter for over four years. Though the court sentenced him to 10 year of rigorous imprisonment, it said that such crimes were required to be addressed differently. "A full public debate, with regard to imposition of castration (both surgical and chemical) as an alternative punishment for the offence of rape and molestation, is the need of the hour," ASJ Lau said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on convict Dinesh Yadav, 35, a labourer by profession.
It directed that a copy of the order be sent to the secretary of ministry of law and justice, Government of India and national commission for women.
The Indian Penal Code provides only a jail term for sexual offenders. Countries like USA, UK, Germany, etc, have started using chemical castration as an alternative. Chemical castration is administration of medication designed to reduce libido and sexual activity, usually in the hope of preventing rapists, child molesters and other sex offenders from repeating their crimes. In surgical castration, the testes or ovaries are removed through an incision in the body. Medical experts, however, are divided on the efficacy of the method.
The judge observed that though the method is "not the perfect solution to inhibit child molestation", it certainly discourages sexual assault better than incarceration.
The court expressed its apprehension that the idea may get panned by activists. "I am not oblivious of the fact that arguments are bound to be raised against the above by some activists, but in my view, it would be sheer hypocrisy given the damage the rapist and sexual predators do to their victims,'' the judge added.
By now, most of us are familiar with the story of the 11-year-old girl who was raped by 19 young men. The story gets worse: this little girl, who was gang-raped, has become the target of victim blaming. A TV anchor quoted one of the rapists, who defended himself by saying, "She looked older than 11."
Then came a statement from the victim's father, who said, "She may look older than 11, but she still has the mind of a child."
It doesn't really matter what her father said, because he shouldn't have had to be on the defensive. I still cannot fathom how these men could even attempt to blame her, but I know that in reality, victim blaming is an all-too-common reaction in cases of sexual assault.
Many sexual assault victims who comment on my articles too often state that their family and friends do not support their admissions of rape, because they know their rapist. For some reason, people often invalidate rape victims because they find the fact that their rapist was an ex-partner, friend or family member unbelievable. They could not be more wrong.
Healing from sexual assault is very difficult, especially when your friends and family not only invalidate your claims but blame you for being raped. Victim blaming, however, is a huge part of our culture. I'm sure you've heard these all-too-classic lines, probably more than once:
- "She was dressed provocatively."
- "She had a bad reputation."
- "She should have known better than to put herself in that situation."
Through speaking with many other victims of sexual assault, it has become evident that in general, experiencing a rape is something others often refuse to validate. This is especially true in the case of acquaintance rape, as well as being raped by an ex, a current partner or a family member. Many people are quick to scoff at these types of "rape" claims.
Why is it that people are often more apt to take up arms against the rape victim rather than the rapist? Is it because they have never experienced the pain and humiliation of sexual assault and therefore can't possibly understand how a rape could happen between a person and their partner, spouse, co-worker or relative? Perhaps they place the blame on the victim because they didn't fight back? This doesn't make it any less of a rape than if the victim had violently protested. It is hard for most people to imagine the fear that rape victims experience when they are isolated and then sexually assaulted. It is especially confusing when you are raped by someone you know and trusted. Acquaintance rape happens more often than you think.
It is time to put an end to the biggest rape myth of all time. The rape myth I am talking about is that of the scary monster in the alley, because that is what many people think of when they hear the term "rapist." Although there are many violent and random rapes that happen both inside and outside the home, the fact is that 84 percent of rapes are executed by someone the victim knows. In fact, according to the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, "Most of the time a person is raped by someone they know, trust, or love."
The scary monster in the alley is a convenient myth because the truth is much scarier. Assuming a rape cannot possibly occur between friends, colleagues or family members is on par with how most children define the term "stranger." In elementary school, when we learned about stranger danger, our teacher tricked us by asking if a dangerous stranger always looks mean and scary.
"Of course they do!" We vigorously shook our little heads in unison.
Clearly anticipating this response, she told us we were wrong and reminded us that a dangerous stranger can look nice and even friendly. This is often the same for rapists.
For most people, it is generally hard to accept that a person they spent many Christmas dinners with, or someone who came to their Fourth of July picnics, had the capacity to commit one of the most heinous crimes known to humankind. It is a fact that most victims know their rapists, and the discomfort a person may experience when learning that a person they know has committed a rape is no reason to invalidate the victim.
If someone tells you they've been sexually assaulted, there are a few things you can do:
- Believe them. As the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy says, "Believe them. A person has very little to gain by making up a story about sexual assault."
- Encourage counseling. Tell them about RAINN, the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, and direct them to their website, centers.rainn.org. The site provides telephone numbers for sexual assault hotlines and has a great search engine that locates rape crisis centers in your area.
- Take them to get medical attention. Ask the victim if they want to go to the hospital. If the assault recently occurred, it is important to immediately seek medical attention for several reasons.
- Seek out law enforcement. Ask them if they want to report their assault to the police. If they want to go, it is helpful if they have a friend to accompany them. If they don't want to go, be understanding.
- Lend an ear. Just listening to their story and being there is probably one of the best things you can do to help a friend or relative who has been sexually assaulted. Validation is indispensable, especially because many victims of sexual assault incorrectly blame themselves.
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