Rape is Never a Joke!

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/21/imo-view-rape-never-a-joke.html

Insensitive! It’s not the way I call the sick joke thrown by the candidate of Supreme Court Justice, Daming Sanusi, about rape during his fit-and-proper-test at the parliament. “Idiotic” would be the right notion for his foolish move to what he described as an ice-breaker for the tense atmosphere. It again shocked me to learn that public officials, authority and politicians alike keep making repeated unethical remark on such sensitive issue. Apparently, they have a pact to keep singing their hideous chorus that fit perfectly to the the maxim “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”



Responded to a question from members of House Commission III as to whether death penalty in rape cases was a necessary change from the existing law, Daming said that “both the victims of rape and the rapist might have enjoyed their intercourse together, so we should think twice before handing down the death penalty.” The lawmakers shamelessly laughed at the revolting joke. What a sickening theatrical performance of the Month!


It was totally unethical. It was totally unacceptable. Rape victim is no laughing stock, particularly within the so called ‘respected’ institution! Perhaps, the currently judge at the Banjarmasin High Court should try to animate the crime himself to experience the feeling of rape victims! How would he feel if some brutish men snatched him out of his car, dragged him to remote shabby hamlet, gang-raped him, then left him bloodied and broken? I am curious whether he would stand his ground to put forward that bizarre assumption! And say timidly, “Oh, yes I took pleasure in the crime myself! So don’t blame them!” Duh!

Given his gender bias and insensitivity, I can’t help but thinking on how would justice be served in the face of such attitudes. Instead of dealing with the problem as a law and order issue, he converted the bestial crime against women as a sickening joke to break the ice! Along with many other public officials, they are still stuck within a mentality that looks to excuse the behavior of rapists resulted from deeply ingrained patriarchy within our society.

These public servants have warped mindset of cultivating patriarchal beliefs to always raise fingers at woman when she becomes a victim of rape. It’s the way they dress! It’s the way they behave! It’s their fault! If women obey the men, such thing will not happen! No wonder shocking instances of rape continue to hit the headlines along with the tendency of authority and public administrators to blame the victim.

This victim blaming approach explains why crimes against women continue to be on the rise. Worse, such attitude is perpetuated by the lenient punishment for the heinous crime that only carries a maximum sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment. Mostly, offenders of such crimes received less! If we keep on ascribing blame on women and succumbing to the light sentence, the perpetrators will get away easily. The lenient law will not bring deterrent. A victimized woman will be further exposed to ignominy and trauma. And the monstrous crimes would continue to happen.

Unfortunate as it may seem, we are saved from the odds due to the growing public awareness championed through socia media. A torrent of electronic wrath burst forward following Daming’s comment that went viral across the social media. It has sparked widespread anger and condemnation. The public pressure has helped to build a catharsis for check and balance that has often failed to be executed with grace by our legislation.

Accordingly, the judge and lawmakers could no longer turn a blind eye over their highly unacceptable behavior. The credibility of the the man in question crumbled, thus likely cost him the post. The damage has been done and the social sanction has been imposed. No amount of apology could mend the shaterred image.


In spite of such public pressure, social media campaign and women empowerment, severe retribution through harsher punishment for rapists can be an effective way to free our country from this horrifying offence against women. The fear for strict and stern sanction will subdue the animal instinct in men whose minds are socially perverted.

Another lesson for authority from this raucous uproar is that rape is never a joke! It is a monstrous crime that should be stopped!