KOHIMA, FEBRUARY 3 (MExN): The January 30 rape of a minor with disabilities by a policeman in Kohima is not the first time that such a crime on persons with disabilities has been reported, stated ENABLE, an NGO that works with persons with disabilities.
A press note from ENABLE Chairperson, Neikule Doulo and General Secretary, Dr Asunu Thong, while condemning the January 30 incident as a “most despicable crime,” asked “what the government has done in the past and will be doing in this case.”
“The loathsome individual who perpetrated the crime has no place in a society like ours and should be given the harshest of punishment possible under the law to set the standard that such criminal acts cannot and should never be repeated again,” ENABLE stated in the press note.
It stated that the government, police, judiciary and those in position of authority to enforce justice should take this case as a matter of extreme importance. “The fight should not concern just the parents of those children with disability but should include one and all because tomorrow it can be any other child. Today it is about the girl with intellectual disability, tomorrow it could be your daughter, sister, wife or even mother,” it added.
“Such repugnant crimes especially against persons who cannot fully comprehend the situation or even defend themselves cannot be swept under the carpet and forgotten,” ENABLE stated. It further asked that proper compensation be given to the victim and care be taken to ensure her future protection and well-being. “The trauma that the wronged family will be undergoing will never be fully understood by others except for those who may have faced similar situations,” it added.
