Rape Crisis Calls for Systemic Change

Aug 25 , 2024
By Eden Sahle

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The story of Feven Awot, an eight-year-old child who was brutally raped and killed, shattered my heart. As a woman and a mother to a baby girl, I could not get it out of my mind. I am terrified, haunted by thoughts of what happened to an innocent child and her family afterwards. It is unbearable to imagine a young girl, who had her whole life ahead of her, suffering such horror.

Reading about the predator's gruesome crimes in the court files was nauseating. The medical report detailing the horrific final moments of the little girl's life made me weep with anguish. The witness testimonies were traumatic to read. The court documents describe how Feven, who had left her relative and younger sister at home to use the toilet, fell into the trap of a cruel predator and met a grim end.

Her tragic death at the hands of a predator underscores the worsening state of rape in our society. Countless rape cases fill the courts, with these crimes occurring everywhere—from homes and daycare centres to religious institutions and schools. Despite cultural barriers, victims and their families courageously seek justice.

The sexual crimes courts adjudicate, and the stories received by organisations reveal the pain women and children endure daily. Most rape victims are from impoverished households, targeted by someone within their own family or neighbourhood. Unattended children are particularly vulnerable to predators nearby. Countless cases never reach the courts and those that do usually face difficulties.

The profound disappointment of seeing felons released after serving only a few years for raping minors led me to abandon my practice of law. The lifelong agony endured by victims cannot be alleviated by the perpetrators serving short sentences for the heinous crimes they committed, only to be freed and potentially repeat these acts, traumatising victims and their families.

While individuals suspected of corruption are denied bail and must follow their cases from jail, rape suspects frequently walk free on bail, causing further distress to victims and their families. These suspects usually attempt to silence, threaten, and shame victims, their families, and witnesses during the legal process, trying to destroy evidence and intimidate those seeking justice. This discourages victims and their families from pursuing their cases in court.

There remains a marked gap in the law concerning comprehensive victim protection. The lack of strict precedents for rape criminals allows it to remain rampant. While the criminal law lists punishments for rape—ranging from five to 20 years in prison, or life imprisonment if the crime results in serious bodily or mental injury or death—some judges, seemingly desensitised to the prevalence of these cases, often impose the minimum sentences, even when the victims are minors.

The law fails to acknowledge that rape robs victims of far more than just their physical dignity. It overlooks the potential and opportunities lost by victims like Feven. It fails to account for the profound moral, physical, and future damages inflicted by such heinous acts, not only on the victims and their families but also on society at large.

As Feven's case is currently on appeal, it is not permissible to discuss specific legal errors. Hopefully, the prosecutors and higher courts will address any mistakes to ensure justice is served appropriately in this horrific case, thereby deterring similar crimes in the future. The heartbreaking story calls for a revision of the laws on rape to provide justice and curb the rise of these crimes, which emboldens perpetrators.

Rapists are also learning how the legal system works and how sentences are applied. Even if the law were to change to include the death penalty for rape, most criminals know that executions are rare here. Although death sentences require the president's signature to be carried out, judges frequently avoid imposing the death penalty due to the emotional burden it places on them. Likewise, the difficulty presidents face in approving executions has left many on death row for decades.

Authorities and lawmakers need to investigate the factors contributing to the growing number of rapes to address the systemic failures that leave women and girls vulnerable. Rape is a crime against humanity that inflicts inhumane and degrading suffering, yet the conviction and punishment rates have consistently been lower than for most other crimes.

Learning from countries that have taken serious measures to combat rape could help reduce the incidence of this crime. Training police officers on investigative procedures and prosecutors on effectively charging rapists, alongside legislative reforms, could help resolve the crisis in the prosecution of these cases. Rape should be treated as a severe offence, with the law and communities unequivocally condemning it.

Citizens should not live in constant fear of what might happen to their children when they are at home or school. Authorities and communities must unite to fight this crime that is robbing women and children of their precious lives and futures.

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PUBLISHED ON Aug 25,2024 [ VOL 25 , NO 1269]

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