Editorial
Child in jail
A blot on the legal system
The sad spectacle of a nine-year old victim of rape being in prison for six months, as reported by the daily Prothom Alo, is a harsh reminder of the helplessness of the most vulnerable group in society -- the ultra poor women and children. The girl's unbearable agony has been compounded by the legal process which finally landed her in jail in the name of safe custody.
This is another case of a little girl falling victim to a barbaric crime and wrongful confinement which should be taken up suo moto by the judiciary and the girl set free immediately.
It really sounds ironical that the girl had to be kept in custody when she needed great care and psychological support from her family, after the highly traumatic experience, or a girl of that age should have been in a shelter home. Besides, one would expect only the rapist to end up in jail, not the victim.
The girl was spotted in jail by the Deputy Commissioner of Kishoreganj, which we believe was purely fortuitous. So, the disturbing question as to how many such girls or similar victims of ghastly crimes may be languishing in jail, or failing to get justice, arises for very cogent reasons. It is also not clear, as reported, why the Deputy Commissioner couldn't do anything on his own and had to request a human rights activist to come to the rescue of the girl.
The government officials concerned could only say that they were following the rules, though the rules do not permit keeping a child in jail. Even if it is argued that their intention was not bad, it is obvious that the ill-fated girl couldn't receive sympathy from the people who were supposed to mete out justice to her.
Incidents like this can only bring disgrace to society. It is a terrible moral burden on us to prove that there still exists any system to ensure social security of children, especially those grappling with grinding poverty. The NGOs which work in this field can provide shelter to this hapless girl. The social welfare ministry could take the girl under their wings. Safeguarding the rights of children should be a mission, and not merely a slogan.
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