Rape:An Evil Going Epidemic

Shauna Prewitt

''You see, nine months after my rape, I gave birth to a beautiful little girl. You could say she was conceived in rape; she was. But she is also so much more than her beginnings. I blissfully believed that after I finally had decided to give birth to and to raise my daughter, life would be all roses and endless days at the playground. I was wrong again.But blaming myself was neither my idea nor my first inclination. I thought such 17th-century notions were long dead. I was wrong. People who did not even know me were quick to comment or speculate on my rape. What were you wearing? Did you scream loudly? Did this occur in public?.''.----Shauna Prewitt

Those were the words of Shauna Prewitt, a Chicago lawyer who was raped at 21,in her final year at college and had to undergo the agony of giving birth to the baby she knew was by that painful and shameful means.She loved her baby and did not want to loose her despite the circumstances.

She discovered that majority of States in the US give parental rights to men who father through rape.Her experience made her to become a lawyer so she could fight this practice and encourage  states to make it illegal.

In her opinion,many women who are raped become pregnant and give birth.Shauna later wrote a book,entitled: ''Giving Birth To A Rapist's Child''.

Back home, rape has become almost an epidemic and we hear many gory tales of this shameful act daily.The worst aspect of our own case is that majority are not recorded,but rape happens almost everyday.Our sisters and their parents and loved ones are helpless most of the time.The cult of silence helps to encourage the rapists.It is also encouraged by the attitude of our law enforcement agents who usually make jests of the whole issue when reported to them(where did it happen?,what were you wearing?why did you go to such place? etc).

Also,owing to cultural beliefs and tradition most parents refuse to speak out when their child is molested for fear of being despised as having a wayward daughter.Others feel that speaking out or making it public will expose their daughter to ridicule and affect her chances of getting married,and thus evil is covered and the perpetrators protected.

 Let us speak out against rape.Let us expose this evil and the doers.Only then will we have made a step in the right direction .WE could be victims tomorrow!

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