Most rape victims are minors

A study by this paper has found that 82 percent of rape victims are under the age of 20, many of them minors. More than half of the victims were schoolgirls who were raped on their way to or from school. About twenty-two percent were sexually abused at home.

What is more alarming is that this research, based on The Daily Star news reports, reveals that around 80 percent of the rapists were known to the victims, neighbours or men who live in the same locality as the victims. It is therefore surprising that most of these perverts escape arrest and punishment. 

These findings allude to the fact, one that has been corroborated before by human rights organisations, that the arrest and conviction rates of rapists are very low. Those who are caught and arrested, often use their influence, to get bail or even go scot free through an out of court arrangement. The victims and their families are often forced to make compromises because they are threatened with further repercussions if they pursue the case. It is clear that despite a very stringent law against rape, especially of minors, loopholes in the legal system, and lack of support from the community, allow these rapists to escape punishment while the victim remains traumatised, sometimes for life.

In a country that is committed to promoting the education of girl children, it is also crucial to ensure their physical safety and mental wellbeing. The outrageous number of rapes of young girls is a wakeup call for the government, and the society as a whole, that we must take all measures possible, to protect our girls and women from sexual predators.