Seychelles - #WeStandWithThe75 #IStandWithThe75

Today I re-post we at 'One Seychelles' published a while ago on child sexual abuse, an issue that has become topical and all the more relevant following the recent Supreme Court Judgment. #WeStandWithThe75 #IStandWithThe75

On the 24 February 2020 'One Seychelles' posted as follows:-

The Nation as a whole has the vital responsibility of helping our children thrive. Yet, more innocent children than we can possibly fathom are sexually abused, oftentimes by much older relatives or other persons in positions of trust, and the effects are often devastating and long-lasting. In most cases of child sexual abuse, the victims know their abuser.

It is time to break through the culture of silence to call for justice. Families should not cover up horrific abuse or make excuses for the sexual predator. We must believe the child, until it is proven, without a doubt, otherwise. The first time a child tells you about the abuse may be the only time. More community drives to alert the public on warning signs to help detect instances of sexual abuse on children, to educate the public on how to help prevent the occurrence of sexual assault, and where to seek assistance if they believe a child has been sexually assaulted, are needed.

The Government can and should do more. The ultimate aim of education is not knowledge, but action.

1. The police should ensure that the officer who takes the statement of the child victim is properly trained to do so, and in an environment that is conducive and best suited for vulnerable members of society. 

2. The Attorney-General's Chambers need to MOVE on the cases once they have received them from the police and not drag their feet; why prolong the trauma for a child victim by making him or her wait months or even years to give evidence in an adversarial context and relive the abuse in a public setting? The state counsels who are assigned to these cases need to be properly trained in handling such matters competently and with the sensitivity they require; apathetic counsels who sit on files should NOT be permitted to handle such important cases.

3. The Courts need to ensure that child witnesses are not unnecessarily traumatized through the giving of their evidence, that they are not ridiculed or berated by the counsels, and that their evidence is taken first and without delay. It needs to be considered whether video evidence of a child detailing the incident to the police would suffice, as is done in other countries, and whether this would negate the requirement for the child to come to court at all and relive the ordeal. Moreover, the sentences meted out by the Courts need to reflect the gravity and the heinousness of such offences; 8 years on average is not enough.

4. Following conviction, the names of sexual offenders should be published on a list and made available to the public. The media should also show the faces of the convicts rather than blur them out. With such short sentences being meted out by the courts, communities should have a right to know if a sexual offender lives right next door, for the safety of their children.

5. Therapy and effective counselling must be made available to these child victims, and their affected family members, following the incident. We have wonderful support networks locally, such as the NCC, and usage of them should be encouraged.

Our children deserve a positive future: the chance to grow and learn in safety – free from the threat of sexual abuse.

There is growing evidence that preventing the sexual abuse of children is possible. For example, in Nairobi, Kenya, rapes have dropped by more than 50% in communities where girls and boys take part in a powerful training programme called No Means No. In Northern Uganda, through REAL Fathers Initiative, after being mentored by trained peers, young fathers were half as likely to use physical, psychological and verbal violence with their wives and children.

Rather than throwing resources at tunnels, trains, and the like, why is THIS not being given the attention and importance it warrants? Violent abuse of any kind of our children is a matter that deserves Government's time and investment.