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Following the unfolding and messy story of Virginia Roberts' allegations of Child Sexual Abuse and Sex Slavery against HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York, I have come to the irresistible conclusion that Child Sexual Abuse has become a plague of global proportion.
It demands more attention than we give to it today as primary and secondary caregivers; individuals and institutions.
Though, the allegations against the Duke of York is at its early stage, I can't seem to wrap my mind round his open relationship with the American billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted pedophile, who is also connected to the current allegations.
With the recent bizarre cases being reported on the international scene and the scary ones we hear about daily right here in Nigeria, I make bold to say that Child Sexual Abuse is perpetrated in the most unexpected places by the most unexpected people against the most unexpected victims!
Sadly today, the Global Plague of Child Sexual Abuse is cemented under ignoble carpet of cold SILENCE and deliberate DENIAL, particularly in Africa among individuals and institutions for different reasons, none of which is noble or in the best interest of the Child.
Let me warn today and at the risk of sounding like a prophet of doom, our precious children are not as safe as we think or assume, both in our homes and the institutions we send them to. With my 18 years of field experience, tireless investments in research efforts and recent events, this assertion is one of the most profound truth of this century.
This is a reality we must fight with everything within and outside us not to deny, except we chose to live in fool's paradise, which is the costliest place to live today on the issue of Child Sexual Abuse.
What then is the answer? How do we employ wisdom to direct us for our profit and that of our precious children? How do we ensure the protection of our precious children from Child Sexual Abuse?
We need to acquire and sharpen our intelligence of Child Protection(i-PROTECT) with immediate effect. For example, intelligence does not ask the question, are children safe from Sexual Abuse, irrespective of whose care they are and how safe the environment they are kept may seem.
Intelligence asks only one major question: as primary and secondary caregivers, what sound, tested and professional measures have we put in place to ensure the safety of our precious children from Child Sexual Abuse?
Intelligence also asks the follow-up question, what are the measures carefully and deliberately put in place according to global standards and the established culture of the people and environment, where our precious children are kept both at in our homes and institutions?
It is time for us to ask ourselves and the institutions(formal or informal, religious or educational) we trust our children with, these fundamental questions and demand credible answers.
If we truly love and seek to protect our children, I charge us today not to find sleep for our eyes, rest for our souls and peace to your conscience until we ask and find answers to the foregoing questions of intelligence of Child Protection.
I think I should rest my case here for today...For those who endured to read this piece to the end, thank you and do have your patient self an INSPIRED day.
Yours in the best interest of the African Child,
Taiwo Akinlami
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