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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

NOW MALAYSIA ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES FOR THE VIRGINITY OF YOUNG GIRLS



MALAYSIA WAIVED THE PENALTIES FOR STATUTORY RAPE IS NOW MALAYSIA ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES FOR THE VIRGINITY OF YOUNG GIRLS BOTH NATIONAL BOWLER NOOR AFIZAL AZIZAN AND CHUAH GUAN JIU, TWO YOUNG MEN WHO ESCAPED JAIL TERMS DESPITE RAPING 13- AND 12-YEAR-OLD GIRLS RESPECTIVELY, MAY BE CLASSED AS PAEDOPHILES, ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL STANDARDS AND PSYCHIATRISTS HERE, SUGGESTING THE COURTS MAY HAVE FREED SEXUAL PREDATORS WHO MIGHT REPEAT THEIR CRIME. OLD TIMERS RECALL WHEN FATHER BENEDICT WAS ACQUITTED AND RELEASED, HE WAS GIVEN A WARM RECEPTION BY THE CHANGANACHERRY ARCHDIOCESE.


“I think this is the fault with the church. It does not punish those priests who break their celibacy and seek immoral means of life. But the church is always eager to protect the clergy who are found guilty,” says Joseph Punnen, a devout catholic who had launched a movement against Father Benedict in 1970s.
Joan Lau
you have never committed an offence before and did not go to college, you are “poor thing, give chance”? Come on.If this were a drug or firearms offence, the same “considerations” would not be given.Having sex with a child is wrong. Pure and simple
Congratulations, Malaysia! We might soon become the next popular tourist destination for paedophiles, now that our courts have again waived the penalties for statutory rape for an individual after taking into account his “future”.
In the case of Chuah Guan Jiu, Sessions Court judge Nisa Abdul Aziz considered the following factors in deciding not to throw him into jail for having sex with a 12-year-old:
1. He did not have a criminal background.
2. He did not have a “high education”, having left school at Form 2.
3. Most importantly, the sex was consensual.
Since when did consent become a factor in determining guilt for statutory rape? This is not a case of sex between minors — this is an adult having sex with a prepubescent child. I’d call that paedophilia, wouldn’t you?
As there is no legal definition of the term paedophile, I’ll cite instead the definition used by the Australian National Crime Authority: “Adults who act on their sexual preference for children.”
Let us look at two very important facts in the case:
She was 12. He was 21.
She’s a minor. He’s an adult.
There is no “grey area” here as a 12-year-old is a child, not a teenager. Reading the news reportage, the offender had actually asked her to come over to his apartment on a school day.
A responsible adult would not be asking a child to skip school to have sex.
Was the judge confused? Did she assume that, because a child consented to sex, it was not rape? That there was nothing wrong with an adult man having sex with a child?
If, say, I subtract three years from their ages, would it perhaps make it more of an “obvious” offence?
It is clear that something is wrong with our judiciary system when we take into account consent in cases where it is not only clearly statutory rape, but an instance where you could call the perpetrator a paedophile.
Letting something like this go is akin to us saying: “Yes, it’s fine to have sex with primary school children so long as they say ‘Yes’.”
Some people would argue that 12-year-olds these days are physically more developed, with girls reaching puberty far earlier than they used to. Physical development is one thing but mentally, emotionally, a 12-year-old is still a child.
And a paedophile is still a paedophile, even if he has a “bright future
The World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD) categorises paedophilia as “a sexual preference for children, boys or girls or both, usually of pre-pubertal or early pubertal age.”
And according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) used by mental health professionals globally, paedophilia is the sexual attraction to pubescent or pre-pubescents aged 13 or younger, and the subject must be 16 or older with the child at least five years younger.
Noor Afizal was 19 when he committed the offence while the girl he raped was 13, or six years his junior.
In the case of Chuah, he was 21 at the time of the offence, while his victim was 12 ― a nine-year gap between the two.
The age differences between the perpetrators and the victims in both cases fall within both the ICD and DSM criteria for paedophilia.
While both the Court of Appeal in the case of Noor Afizal and the Sessions Court in the matter of Chuah took into account the perpetrators’ youth, international research of paedophilia as a sexual disorder suggests that paedophiles start offending at a young age.
Yesterday, 22-year-old Chuah was released on a three-year, RM25,000 good behaviour bond by the Sessions Court in George Town, Penang.
The decision is likely to further stoke existing public outrage following the case of national bowler Noor Afizal, who was let off from serving jail time after a Court of Appeal decision reversed an earlier High Court ruling and bound him over for good behaviour.
Mental health professionals whom The Malaysian Insider spoke to here said that while it was impossible to diagnose both Noor Afizal and Chuah without meeting them, they agreed that the offenders’ age difference with their victims and the ages of the two girls met the definition of paedophilia.
They said that the court had been wrong not to consider these aspects.
One psychiatrist, who declined to be named, said: “Paedophilia is a psychological condition. Usually, the root of it is that the person is sexually or socially inadequate so they find minors who are generally easier to impress.
“Paedophiles find it difficult to court older women or men. However, minors tend to be less judgmental about the paedophile’s sexual ability. There is no scientific cure for paedophilia but with psychotherapy and psychological treatment, the symptoms and urges are reduced.”
Another psychiatrist of over 20 years’ experience added that the cause of paedophilia is a disorder in the frontal part of the brain that makes sufferers feel sexually inadequacy.
“Some of the causes could be sexual preferences, in-born, hormones and upbringing. Another cause could be because they have been abused sexually as a child.
“Perpetrators need proper assessment to be diagnosed as a paedophile. Behavioural treatment actually helps paedophiles to deal with the issue,” the mental health professional added.
 Both national bowler Noor Afizal Azizan and Chuah Guan Jiu, two young men who escaped jail terms despite raping 13- and 12-year-old girls respectively, may be classed as paedophiles, according to international medical standards and psychiatrists here, suggesting the courts may have freed sexual predators who might repeat their crime.The World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD) categorises paedophilia as “a sexual preference for children, boys or girls or both, usually of pre-pubertal or early pubertal age.”And according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) used by mental health professionals globally, paedophilia is the sexual attraction to pubescent or pre-pubescents aged 13 or younger, and the subject must be 16 or older with the child at least five years younger. 
Noor Afizal was 19 when he committed the offence while the girl he raped was 13, or six years his junior.
In the case of Chuah, he was 21 at the time of the offence, while his victim was 12 ― a nine-year gap between the two.
The age differences between the perpetrators and the victims in both cases fall within both the ICD and DSM criteria for paedophilia.
While both the Court of Appeal in the case of Noor Afizal and the Sessions Court in the matter of Chuah took into account the perpetrators’ youth, international research of paedophilia as a sexual disorder suggests that paedophiles start offending at a young age.
Yesterday, 22-year-old Chuah was released on a three-year, RM25,000 good behaviour bond by the Sessions Court in George Town, Penang.
The decision is likely to further stoke existing public outrage following the case of national bowler Noor Afizal, who was let off from serving jail time after a Court of Appeal decision reversed an earlier High Court ruling and bound him over for good behaviour.
Mental health professionals whom The Malaysian Insider spoke to here said that while it was impossible to diagnose both Noor Afizal and Chuah without meeting them, they agreed that the offenders’ age difference with their victims and the ages of the two girls met the definition of paedophiliaSilvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, has been ordered to stand trial on charges he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and then used his political position to try and cover it up.
Cristina Di Censo, a Milan judge, handed down the indictment on Tuesday. The trial is set to begin on  April 6.
The 74-year-old billionaire has denied the charges against him, saying they are politically motivated. However, his lawyers on Tuesday said they “didn’t expect anything else,” in response to the news.
Prosecutors bringing the case against Berlusconi allege he paid for sex with a “significant number” of young women including a Moroccan dancer nicknamed Ruby the Heart Stealer, who was 17 at the time.
The premier is also accused of using his influence to free her from custody after being arrested on suspicion of an unrelated theft.
Political immunity removed
A group of Milan judges, who conducted an investigation into the claims before seeking trial, say the premier acted in fear that her detention would have revealed her relationship to him.
But Berlusconi and Ruby, whose real name is Karima El Mahroug, have both denied having sex, and the premier’s supporters say he helped release her from jail because he believed she was a relative of Hosni Mubarak, the recently ousted Egyptian president.
.
“Do not bring shame to the family,” warned Elham Mahdi al Assi’s mother before Elham died from internal bleeding due to days of sexual torment by her new husband. Abed al Hikmi had taken his new bride to Dr. Fathiya Haidar, who advised the groom to stay away from his bride for several days in order for her to heal. Instead of following the doctor’s orders, al Hikmi continued his assault, assuming his wife’s screams had to do with spiritual possession and not because of the pain or torment that he was inflicting on her.
While Elham Mahdi al Assi’s case may seem extreme, it is not rare. Muslim societies attach great importance to male virility and even more to the virginity of young women and girls. The focus often leads to ignorance and hardship, mainly for females whose virginity rules even their earliest years. From not participating in sports or using certain kinds of feminine hygiene products to securing their virginity by opting for a surgical procedure that ensures tearing and bleeding on the wedding night, females bear the brunt of this sort of patriarchal traditionalism.
The very same traditionalism also limits the development of educational curriculum that answers questions about the basic anatomy and physiology of both males and females. Although the governments of some Muslim countries, such as Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Bahrain, have approved of basic sexual health education curriculum, most teachers shy away from providing this education due to lack of understanding coupled with embarrassment about the subject at hand (PDF). The teachers’ inhibitions are understandable and beg the question why don’t these governments facilitate the training of teachers expected to educate intermediate aged students on their bodies.
Some Muslim countries deserve credit for having taken the lead on sex education. The Indonesian government designed a sex education program after witnessing a rapid increase of teen pregnancies. Plus, the government discovered that the youth are eager to have their questions answered. Turkey has also permitted a limitededucational program in response to teachers noting that girls wanted information about their bodies and how they function.
Sex education should not be seen as corrupting youth, but rather instrumental in building a healthy society; such honest dialogue was certainly a part of the early Muslim community. Critics often cite the perceived hedonistic societies of the United States and Western Europe as the failed models of sex education. Though most of these critics have little background in biological or reproductive health, they continue to guide the discussion. Often citing sexually deviant behaviors, they claim the need to protect the family unit and its morals. Ironically enough, many of the societal ills that these detractors fear—teen pregnancies for one—could, in fact, be resolved through kids making informed choices and decisions.
Early Islam, whether through the study of Qur’anic verses or the Hadith, taught Muslims about menses, sexual etiquette, fluids, discharges, and relationship problems that could lead to a miserable sex life. Muslims found it natural to educate themselves about healthy sexual practices and relationships because intimacy was seen as a beautiful gift from the Almighty. This gift was also the subject of Muslim literature, both allegorical and scholarly, for centuries, as sexuality was not seen as heretical or shameful.
Although this liberal attitude toward sexuality may have been the norm centuries ago, it is no longer part of the Muslim social fabric. Al Azhar University Professor Dr. Ahmed Ragab published a study (PDF) which examined the attitudes in Egypt and North Africa toward HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and general sexual knowledge. According to the findings, Egyptian adolescents knew very little about the maturation of their bodies, even though some had already begun the awkward transition from childhood into puberty. In Tunisia, over 50% of male students and over 70% of female students believed that varying birth control methods caused serious health risks. Even more worrisome was the lack of testing for HIV/AIDS and STI’s, as most did not understand how they are contracted or prevented.
In 2007,the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) released a comprehensive report (PDF) entitled Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Middle East and North Africa. The report painted a picture that is rarely seen due to the louder, although less informed, voices of the critics of sex education. Across the board, younger people wanted more information about anatomical and physiological functioning, along with the prevention of AIDS and STI’s. Approximately 73% of female respondents wanted information about menses, physiological development, and reproductive health. Most felt that they could not talk to their mothers or were encouraged to not ask questions.
Although sexual education should be made available to both males and females, teaching girls/women about their bodies often stirs up more suspicion and opposition than does educating young men. This is likely due to the idea that a woman’s body and virginity are tantamount to her family’s honor. As a result of many governments’ and families’ stubborn refusal to offer sex education to Muslim women, we find a disturbing number of women suffering from reproductive health problems. Over 70% of Saudi Arabian women who are diagnosed as having breast cancer die because they could not seek treatment or the cancer went undetected in its early stages, due to lack of female-only services. Fifty-six percent of Egyptian women surveyed had some sort of reproductive tract infection (UTI, PID, etc) but assumed pain and discomfort were a normal part of the female experience and failed to visit the doctor.
Such ignorance does not honor Islam or the Muslim family. Critics must stand aside or offer solutions based on facts. The Muslim obsession with child bearing and sexual pleasure can only be seen as hypocritical if the Muslim population remains uninformed. Today’s Muslim youth are bombarded with pornography, temporary marriages, and misinformation. If they continue to be ignorant, we risk both their physical health and their spiritual wellbeing.
They said that the court had been wrong not to consider these aspects.
One psychiatrist, who declined to be named, said: “Paedophilia is a psychological condition. Usually, the root of it is that the person is sexually or socially inadequate so they find minors who are generally easier to impress.
“Paedophiles find it difficult to court older women or men. However, minors tend to be less judgmental about the paedophile’s sexual ability. There is no scientific cure for paedophilia but with psychotherapy and psychological treatment, the symptoms and urges are reduced.”
Another psychiatrist of over 20 years’ experience added that the cause of paedophilia is a disorder in the frontal part of the brain that makes sufferers feel sexually inadequacy.
“Some of the causes could be sexual preferences, in-born, hormones and upbringing. Another cause could be because they have been abused sexually as a child.
“Perpetrators need proper assessment to be diagnosed as a paedophile. Behavioural treatment actually helps paedophiles to deal with the issue,” the mental health professional added.

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