Covering up rape cases -Time to act now

Page 11
May 2008

When I was an apprentice hairdresser, there was this taxi driver who used to give me lifts to Kaneshie to enable me board a vehicle to Agbogbloshie. This went on for sometime but he never told me anything.
On the December 31, 2001, after dropping me at Kaneshie, he gave me the direction to his house and asked to me pass by in the evening. I did not understand, but went to his house after work.
When I got home, he offered me a bottle of malt drink of which I took. After that he started making advances at me. I was shocked at his attitude since all along he had not even proposed to me. By the time I realised he had locked the door and removed the key.
I sensed danger and began pleading with him to allow me to go and prepare for the Watch Night service, but he would not agree. As he made an attempt to have his way, I started struggling with him. I could not shout because everyone in the house had gone to church that night. Moreover, the house was isolated and the sound of music was everywhere.
As I continued struggling with this taxi driver, I injured my left arm and leg. With that I realised that I could not fight any longer. In the end, he had his way and forcibly had sex with me. I suffered bruises in my genital organ and I was really hurt physically and emotionally. After the act, he gave me money but I refused it and told him that my body was not for sale. When I asked whether he would be happy if someone had done that to his sister, he did not respond.
I dashed out of the room limping, rejecting his offer of transport fare. When I got home I could not tell my parents fearing that they would ask what I went to do in the driver's room. When I got home, my mother told me that my church members passed by our house to pick me to the Watch Night service. I kept what had happened to me to myself. I only told my best friend.
My friend also told her boyfriend who got angry and took me to the taxi rank the next day to confront the driver. When we got there, he pleaded with my friend's boyfriend for forgiveness.
He pleaded that the matter should not be reported to the police when my friend’s boyfriend threatened to report the matter to the police. That’s where the matter ended.
This is a true story that a 27-year-old married woman narrated to this reporter. She said when she looks back, she feels that she should have dared the consequences and reported the matter to her parents. According to her, she has now realised the consequences which could have far-reaching implications on her life today.
Her other fear, she said, stemmed from stigmatisation if she had reported the matter to her parents, who she thought, would not have kept the issue secret in view of its seriousness. "I'm sure if I had reported the matter and the news had gone round, people would have been pointing fingers at me wherever I go".
Although there are reported cases of defilement, rape, and incest in some Ghanaian newspapers, indications are that a number of them were not reported to the police. I wonder why people would risk their lives and allow such dangerous acts to go unreported.
Apart from contracting the dreaded HIV/AIDS, there are other sexually-transmitted diseases that this taxi driver could have transmitted to the lady.
Although this is a topic that has been written on by others, it is better to re-emphasise the need to report acts of rape, no matter who is involved.
Some innocent, young girls have been deceived for far too long, and it behoves all to come to their aid since most of them don’t have people to speak for them.
Covering up rape cases would only worsen the plight of the victim. The trauma and psychological pains alone could haunt a victim for the rest of her life. Perpetrators must be made to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others.
People should do the right thing. Our sisters, daughters and nieces must not be allowed to be abused in this way. In fact, they are too precious to be abused.
It must be noted that most rapists live in their victims’ house or vicinity. However no matter how close a rapist is to the family or person he has raped, he must be made to face the full rigours of the law.