Dear Editor,

I was angered, disgusted, then saddened as I read SN's recent account "Tutor on carnal knowledge charge" of the sexual assault allegedly committed by Dutch citizen and Hindi tutor Ramlall Ganesh, 68, of Line Path, Skeldon on a 13-year-old student at his Upper Corentyne residence.

My feelings were no different when I read of the sexual assault allegedly committed earlier this year, on a female student preparing to write the CXC exams, by the Principal of a well known educational enterprise on South Road. Whatever happened to that case? The diligent and focused student incidentally became one of the nation's outstanding CXC achievers, but unfortunately legal justice has not been forthcoming.

I am further disturbed as I recall the plague of sexual misdemeanours committed on our children, as reported by SN during the latter part of last year: Lakeram Singh of Land of Canaan, charged with raping a nine year old girl (SN 16/11/00); Ronald Britton, no address given, was charged with sexually assaulting a seventeen year old (SN 9/11/00); Winston Carrington of Bagotstown was charged with sexually assaulting a thirteen year old boy (SN 14/11/00); Romal Harry of Back Road Soesdyke, charged with the carnal knowledge of a thirteen year old girl (SN18/11/00).

Please - stop for a moment to consider the mental and emotional trauma inflicted on the victims of these assaults. How does a nine or thirteen year old with undeveloped coping skills enjoy the pleasures synonymous with childhood when their innocence and sense of security are brutally snatched away by a paedophile?

What social and counselling resources are available to the victims who often have to deal with the emotional scars of the assaults for the rest of their lives? While the offenders are allowed to resume their lives after serving a comparatively brief jail sentence? If they are brought to justice at all!

Are children being taught to confide in an adult if touched in an inappropriate manner, or are their voices stilled by the fear of being beaten, or rebuked by their parents if they reveal the facts of the assault? Are they in effect made to feel further a sense of shame and guilt as though they are responsible for the assault?

Sterner legal measures need to be implemented to send a clear message to adults that our society will absolutely not tolerate the sexual violation of our children, nor of our women! The perpetrators of these heinous crimes should just for a moment consider how they would feel if their young daughter, sister or mother was sexually assaulted or raped.

I hope fervently that these young victims will sooner rather than later receive the counselling, support and attention necessary to recover emotionally and spiritually.