A special court
for rape cases

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

One of the most despicable crimes that human beings can commit is that of rape. We cannot even call its perpetrators bestial, because animals are not known to inflict such a vicious act on their like. And yet, especially lately, we hear over and over again, not only from our own country, but also from other parts of the world, this crime being suffered by women, and worst, even by very young girls.

One of the most shocking incidents took place recently in India, where a 23-year-old girl was attacked and gang-raped by six men in a running bus, that she had boarded, accompanied by her boyfriend, who was himself beaten up by the criminals.

Not only did they take turns in molesting the young woman, they also performed horrible acts on her causing unimaginable injuries and pain, before abandoning both her and her boyfriend, near an overpass.

The woman’s injuries were so severe that her internal organs were damaged. Hoping to have her undergo more advanced treatment, she was airlifted to Singapore, but attempts to save her there also failed, and she died 13 days after the incident, 13 days of intense suffering for her and anxiety for her family.

Fortunately, at least, the woman was able to give ante mortem statements about what had happened to her and her companion was able to identify the beasts, so they have been arrested and are now facing trial.

Could years of imprisonment, or even life sentences expiate their culpability and their sin? No! The girl’s father cried, nothing but hanging will do to make them pay for their crime. “No man has the right to live after committing such a heinous crime”, he said.

And people all over the world agree with him. Crimes like this are what make it regrettable that the death penalty has been banned in most countries. And they also create the possibility that the family of the victims will resort to taking matters into their own hands to avenge their defiled loved ones.

We also have several cases of rape in our country and the dismaying aspect is that our courts are often too slow to resolve such cases, no matter how strong the evidence. Isn’t it about time we create special courts to handle and mete penalties to such criminals speedily? That is the only way, inadequate though it may still be, that we can somehow assuage the sufferings and pain of the families left behind.*