In Cleveland, Texas an 11-year-old girl was raped by some where around 17 to 28 men ranging from middle school age to a 27-years-old.
This is a disturbing story, but to make matters worse some citizens of this small town have taken the side of the abusers. (For full news story go here.)
The abusers are being their typical selves and claiming the young victim consented to the rape and even told her abusers she was older. Last time I checked, an 11-year-old typically does not look somewhere around 17 (which is the age that one can technically give consent to have sex with a 18+ years)
It is this attitude that frequently rears its ugly head in the eyes of the public. People expose their ignorance about how traumatizing this specific experience is. This same feeling transcends into the broader issues of sex trafficking.
We demean these tragic stories by cracking jokes about rape and or sex trafficking. It reduces the emotional attachment and exposes our inner core which says unless this is not happening to me or anyone I know I really could care less.
I don’t care if people who are my daughter’s or sister’s age are being continually gang raped and emotionally compelled to believe there is no hope. They may be inlined to think that people have no compassion for their story. They just don’t care.
If no one cares, then why report the abuse? No one really wants to help them right?
We all choose to obsess over the latest fashion trend or who is taking who to prom while we ignore the quiet screams of our peers who have been sexually abused. One in four girls and women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime and 1 out of 10 of these rape cases were not even reported. (facts taken from here)
Now look around.
There is a extremely high probability that one of the people you know has been raped. Now will you care?
The abusers are going to continue to abuse. This statistic will continue to escalate until someone finally breaks the silence. One person chooses to talk about justice. They are tired of victims being attacked and the actions of the abuser being justified.
The ultimate question is: How many people have to abused before people start to care?
