Rape

Rape. What an ugly word. Despite all efforts, it still looms large in our society today. Not only in Malaysia, but in other countries as well. It is more than a sexual crime, more than a crime of violence. It is the basest crime of the human race. It doesn’t matter who are the victims or the perpetrators. It doesn’t matter whether the victim was a man or a woman, the perpetrator a relative or a total stranger. It’s all about power on the part of the perpetrator, and absolute domination over the victim.

You may have noticed that I used the word perpetrators, and not criminals. This is because when you refer to a crime, you can normally atone for your deeds. You can be punished and in many cases, you can ask forgiveness for it. The loss of material things is one thing. You can always work to regain them. The loss of innocence, the loss of life, is far more painful, far more difficult to overcome. What’s more, you can claim compensation if you’re dead, but not so for rape.

Let me explain.

Rape cripples you. In many ways it is far more devastating than simply dying. When you die, that’s it. Nothing to it. You’re dead. It’s final. But when you’re raped… You have to live with the knowledge that you were brutally violated. And remember, the stigma will not be on the rapist, but rather the woman, the victim.

I’ve known any number of men who told me that if a woman should be raped, why should she keep on fighting? Whether she wants to or not, it’s going to happen. Furthermore they say, women should not be wearing such thin clothes or such short skirts or walking alone.

These are the same men who say that women should be clothed from head to toe, regardless of their religion, skin colour or race, or most importantly, simply because they are women. They should not tempt men, because men have no self-control. That says something about their thinking, doesn’t it?

If it is about deterring rapists, there should be one, and only one humane way to do this. Castration. You’re not going to kill anyone, you’re not going harm them. You’re just going to take away their ability to have children. This goes especially double for incest offenders.

If the human rights organisations say it is too barbaric, then is not rape a barbaric crime? Why should we be compassionate to those who have none? And compared to any number of other options, I believe that castration is the only deterrent and punishment suitable for rape. And for incest family victims, their relative can still earn a living. After all, what role is that small part going to play, in let’s say, office-work?