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Shock following death of four-year old Jennia
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Shock following death of four-year old Jennia
While the population was about to “celebrate” a sad anniversary – the death of two-year old Marie Anita Jolita following rape – it had to face another monstrous episode. Jennia Arékion died in hospital from fits probably due to sexual abuse she had suffered a few days before. The Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT) is still looking for the perpetrator of this odious crime.
Even though her teachers realised she was not herself when she arrived at her pre-primary school in Rose-Hill last Monday, Jennia’s teachers could not imagine what the little girl had been enduring. It is only when she fell from her chair with a violent tummy ache that they realised the urgency of the situation and took her to hospital… where she died two days later.
Chief police medical officer, Dr Satish Boolell, who carried out the autopsy, reported that she died of fits. But he also confirmed what the hospital staff had noticed on examining her when she arrived on Monday: little Jennia had been sexually abused a few days before her death. According to tests done by the chief police medical officer, the sexual abuse had caused infections that led to fits while she was at school on Monday.
Need for more communication</B>
The victim’s funeral was held in a highly emotional atmosphere. Not only were her parents devastated by what had happened to their little one but the public at large was also deeply affected by the incident – the eighth such one in the past year.
Many people went to the funeral to support the family and as a sign that they condemn such odious behaviour. Rita Venkataswamy, chairperson of CEDEM, can’t hide her affliction, “I am distressed and disgusted. I would never have imagined that such horrible things could happen in our so-called paradise island. Such behaviour should be prevented. Once it is done, no law can give back to child to his/her mother.”
The secretary of Pedostop, an association that fights paedophilia, Krishna Thirapathi believes that, to prevent such incidents from happening, there should be “an important communication plan. We are working on such a project. Information and communication must be regularly done. The more we talk about paedophilia, incest and sexual abuse, the more we will disturb abusers and prevent them from taking action.” Not only should seminars and conferences be held but there should also be communication within the family unit.
Related to victim</B>
Paedophilia is not due to a lack of legislation, but there should be a legal framework to fight against it. “It is well-known for instance that paedophiles use the Internet a lot. But, in Mauritius, there is no law to prohibit access to Internet sites or the publication of paedophilic images on the Net,” he explains.
He also points out that paedophilia has nothing to do with the social climate. 70% of cases show that abusers are closely related to the victim and generally people above suspicion.
In this particular case, the MCIT believes the rapist “could be someone close to the little girl. But there are other credible leads that have to be worked upon”. Information gathered during the funeral as well as anonymous calls to the MCIT tend to show that Jennia may have been a victim of sexual abuse long before.
The little girl is said to have complained about pain in her intimate parts when her grandmother was giving her a bath. The police can’t understand why the parents did not react.
But the height of cynicism could well have been reached at the funeral; the MCIT believes the rapist may have attended the funeral and even expressed distress over her death.
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