Rave, rape and more

Some people will have seen Kevin Baldeosingh’s editorial: Twelve years a rave – and wondered ‘What’s that about?’.

Kevin is a very deep thinker. He’s not stupid like the majority of gum-bumping Rock Crawlers to put his foot in his mouth. What could ‘rave’ have to do with a 12 year old being the victim of what appears to be a statutory rape – should be the first question – but shallow thinkers will of course fly over the issue like it’s nobody’s business.  Or most would think that Kev or the TT Express are trying to make a headline that resembles some movie that’s about to make serious ‘waves’ – and you know, people are actually that simple. I’ve embedded the article at the end of this blog, for those who are too lazy to click a link. Background details are here.

[WARNING: if you happen to be a prude and cannot deal with raw facts of nature and sexuality, kindly leave now. This analysis is graphic. You have been warned. If you do not leave now – you have no grounds for complaint and none will be accommodated, if you read past this point.]

Many will have glossed over the following words:

What struck me about this remark is that the girl believed what the man said, and so didn’t tell anyone that she had been raped. And, indeed, the mother told the reporter that, when the doctor confirmed that her daughter was pregnant, “I started to quarrel with her.”
So the mother’s immediate assumption was that her 12-year-old daughter was sexually active, not sexually abused. In that context, it was entirely reasonable for the girl to believe her rapist’s warning about her mother—if she had not gotten pregnant, after all, no one would ever have known about the assault and there would have been no danger of her mother beating her and throwing her out of their home.
The mother, a single parent, went on to say, “She is so coward and shy, that is why she didn’t say anything.” The mother, therefore, does not think her daughter’s silence was caused by lack of trust in her, but by the child’s weak character.
This incident is a microcosm of the overall abuse perpetrated by our hypocritical society on children. Adults condemn both sexually active children and the men having sex with them: but religious leaders say that it’s okay for men to have sex with these same 12- and 14-year-old girls if they’re married to them. You regularly hear people complaining about bad parenting being at the root of all our social problems, but what they really mean is that parents don’t beat their children enough.

I pay particular attention to certain words in Kevin’s article.

“…that the girl believed what the man said, and so didn’t tell anyone that she had been raped..” – some will have immediately responded, “Nothing surprising in that. What you expect.. i’s a twelve year old cheil.. she must have been terrified!”. Ayye – I know how to t’ink so too eh –calm dong! Kevin presses the more intelligent to think harder. What’s my take on it?

First off, I do not know the facts. I do not know the individuals involved – and my knowledge is limited to what is reported in the media which I do take with some caution. Next – I can only make reasonable presumptions about a statistical 12 year old from the Rock, in my mind. I have no knowledge of the index 12 year old reported on in the editorial.

My reasonable presumptions of a statistical 12 year-old female is as follows:

1. She is of average intellectual capacity relative to that age group.
2. She knows what is right and wrong – at the most basic level – including sexual matters.
3. She knows the facts of life prior to the index incident – however she may have come to them (I’m not too bothered).
4. She would know that sexual activity with a male relative of age 25, who is her sisters partner, is wrong.
5. She can feel pain and discomfort.
6. She is an average person who has a psychology about her.
7. At such a tender age she is a virgin.
8. Considering all the above she would be in considerable physical and psychological pain at first sexual intercourse – presumably by forceful penetration.

I really can’t imagine that any average reasonable person will not grant me those ‘reasonable presumptions’ at the outset. Get a grip – a ‘reasonable presumption’ is not a fact – and I need not be reminded that ‘it is not necessarily so’. A minute exception does not change the overall average of what can be expected of a statistical individual.

Now – when I deal with what is known I am put into doubt and confusion (yes disgust etc included) by the act of alleged rape upon this child.

Analysis

In my analysis I make some assumptions as follows:

1. A female of 12 years old
   1. is a virgin.
   2. is not used to sexual stimulation.
   3. is unlikely to achieve sexual stimulation from what is assumed to be a forceful unwelcomed sexual encounter with a male relative of 25.
   4. has small vaginal passage – and being virginal is not used to being stretched by penile penetration.
   5. has a vaginal introitus that is normally partially occluded by a hymen.
2. An average male of 25
   1. has a penis of around 5 inches in length when erect (hats off to you, if you’re a male and you’re laughing at this – you’re such a stud).
   2. has a penis of diameter 1 to 2.5 inches, when erect.

[Google is your friend, not me – in all the above]

I remind myself that the vagina is not a hole – as is often referred to by people who wish to make a joke about such things.

Based on the above:

1. I think it improbable that a 12 year old would become sexually stimulated in the circumstances in question.
2. I do not imagine that an average 12 year old will achieve vaginal lubrication as might happen in normal foreplay (I don’t know and don’t care whether a rapist used artificial lubrication).
3. I expect that sexual penetration of an average 12 year old with a virginal vagina, by a 25 yea old male with a penis diameter of 1 – 2.5 inches, without the female achieving natural lubrication, will on balance of probabilities cause significant physical and psychological trauma.
4. Repeated sexual penetration by said statistical male is likely to cause even more or greater trauma (in the two day period over which this is said to have happened in the index case).
5. I find it difficult to believe that such a statistical 12 year old female would be able to conceal physical or psychological distress (over days or weeks or months), to a statistical average mother  or older sister - even if threatened by said male of 25. The younger, more vulnerable and shy are actually at greater risk of developing a trauma related mental disorder as a consequence of rape. [I said Google was your friend – now go away].
6. I would find it improbable that an average mother  (or older sister) of sound disposing mind, would not be able to pick up such non-verbal features of distress.
7. I think that such a child would have been in severe psychological and physical pain.

Having considered the above, I return to the index situation (having applied the characteristics of an average 12 year old to my mind, to that of the index individual):

1. I do not accept that the 12 year old girl in question remained silent just because she was threatened.
2. I would not accept that the child did not display psychological and physical signs of trauma, that an average mother or sister might notice and make enquiries about.
3. I do not accept that her reported shyness is a relevant factor in concealing the alleged crime. If anything it makes it more probable that a shy individual suffers and manifests more observable non-verbal signs of distress.
4. I do not accept that shyness is a reason for why the child allegedly said nothing until discovered to be 5 months pregnant.

Conclusion:

There is more than meets the eye in this alleged rape scenario. Based on the poor performance of investigatory and law enforcement agencies on the Rock, I do not have confidence that they will be able to look deeply enough into the matter.

Convicting the alleged assailant in this case is not full justice. It is an elementary matter to take DNA from the foetus or neonate that is produced and match it against the accused. I suspect that if there is  a positive match law enforcement agencies will punch the air and score their points. They will avoid the many other unanswered questions and a deeper investigation that would have taken place, if the likes of me was in charge. But then again – people like me aren’t expected to last long on the terra firma of your beloved Rock. I’m very comfy in my armchair here in England – thank you very much. I really don’t relish ducking from bullets and stray penises, aplenty. I’m cool right here!

Twelve years and a rave by Captain Walker