Teachers who rape deserve no mercy

Letters

REFERRING to Wednesday’s article in The National regarding the schoolgirl who said she was raped by her teacher in Southern Highlands, and her relatives who accepted K2000 in compensation, I commend the bravery of the father of the victim who reported the case and wants justice for her daughter.
Sexual abuse of a minor is a serious matter, taking into account the harm done to the victim’s growth and development – socially, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually and physically.
The stigma, humiliation, shame and fear that is inflicted on the victim is hard to imagine.
Imagine a 16-year-old victim of rape having to deal with this issue for the rest of her life. She will traumatised and live in fear and shame for the rest of her life, dealing with the realities of the aftermath of the event that she encountered.
How can a K2000 compensation help her recover from the trauma she went through?
Obliviously, the compensation money will be shared among the relatives and family members and the victim will probably get nothing and be left to struggle to deal with the ordeal she encountered on her own.
We should do away with our culture of compensation and resort to the laws to deal with perpetrators of crime.
The compensation payment will not benefit the victim and will not help her recovery.
Teaching is a noble profession and teachers are the role models who are entrusted to care for our children.
To turn around and harm those children, especially with the most heinous crime of rape, is a painful betrayal of the trust and respect bestowed on teachers by parents and their children.
Teachers who abuse that trust should be ashamed of themselves and be made to face the consequences of their criminal
actions under the full force of the law.

John G Pato
Goroka