My child made me put an innocent man in Jail

Sometimes it is hard to know what children are really thinking. As a parent when you fail to keep track of your child’s daily activities you could end up losing them to the world. Some children will go to extreme levels in order to get their parents attention .But what if the means they are using ends up putting you behind bars?

Jane a class eight pupil had been living with her mother since she was 3 years old when her father left them. Her mother, a casual worker at a school had been doing all she could to ensure that Jane and her siblings would have their needs met and something on the table every day.

Up until Jane was in class eight, she had never seen a manly figure in their home until her mother brought home the man she had been seeing for the last two years. In the beginning all was bliss in the home, the kids got to know the man and even started referring to him as ’Daddy.’ Jane seemed happy with new arrangement at home and was happy to have a father figure.

One day, Jane suddenly seemed so down. She was constantly alone in school and cried a lot. She would go to her guidance and counselling teacher and cry for hours without telling her what was wrong. It became so bad that Jane began to perform poorly. When her mother was called she said Jane had been okay at home and had no complains.

The guidance and counselling teacher one day called Jane to the office and asked her to open up to her. Jane told the teacher that her step father was defiling her and had been doing it when the mother was not in. She went ahead and said that she had tried telling the mother on so many occasions but could not. The guidance and counselling teacher called Jane’s mother and explained everything to her.

On hearing this the mother got so angry and being impulsive stormed out of the office to her home where her ‘husband’ was in the house relaxing. She raised her voice too loud that the neighbors could overhear the conversation and came in. Jane’s mother did not give him room to explain and when the neighbors came they all started hitting the man for defiling Jane.

We all know how grapevine travels. Within seconds Jane’s stepfather was being beaten by a crowd of people until the police came and took him away. Jane’s mother reported him but was asked to take Jane to the hospital.

The doctor examined Jane and found no trace of penetration. It was conclusive from the medical examination that Jane was lying about being defiled. Jane’s step father was released and was never heard of again. Jane had stirred something even she didn’t have the stomach for and it was so sad that her mother paid a huge price.

Sometimes there are cases like this happening across the country where a child claims to have been defiled and instead of the adult taking the right measures of reporting to the police, they lash out and take justice into their own hands. Imagine the damage Jane’s mother would have prevented if she first took Jane to the hospital or reported the matter to the police?

In the case of defilement and rape it is important that we all understand what measures are to be taken. You cannot take matters of justice into your own hands especially without concrete evidence. When a child reports they have been defiled, as an adult take the child to the hospital then report to the police that way you will get justice the right way .