Rape victims have no future

Rape victims have no future

From Media Indonesia

As a woman and as a member of the House of Representatives , I am deeply concerned about the recent riots which were marked by looting, burning, killing and the systematic rape of women. Most of the rape victims were women of Chinese descent. Those responsible acted in a brutal and bestial fashion.

The rapists have destroyed their victims' future. I wonder how they would have felt had it been their own relatives -- brothers, aunts, sisters, daughters or wives -- who were violated in this barbaric way. Qisha or the law of karma (what goes around comes around) applies to our life and God will punish those who sin.

Clearly the rape victims will be engulfed by a feeling of shame for the rest of their lives, will feel inferior, and be afraid to meet male strangers. They will forever feel the trauma of the rapes, and further more, will be reluctant to get married, being shameful of having lost their virginity.

Let us all pray to God that such a horror as the mid-May tragedy does not ever happen again.

Mrs. ERNA SOEPARMAN

Jakarta