Opinion
April 8, 2021
This government’s rape law mirrors the government’s concern to battle the heinous crime of rape. However, the prime minister’s recent statement linking the increase in rape to the rise of obscenity, vulgarity and indecency implies a complete lack of understanding of what encourages rape in a society. Hence his statement, like similar statements made in the past by others in authority, has been widely condemned and an apology has been demanded.
Was this reaction unjustified? In response to this question several inter-related observations, related to social dynamics, to authority and responsibility, to religion, to justice, to our own realities and history etc come to mind. The following may be noteworthy: