Recently my sister forwarded a link to the Muslim Women's Network UK report on a pilot study, published in 2013. While it seems dated, issues in the report don't seem to be being tackled by every day people in society or even being talked about even today.
Not until this report have I ever read anything so horrific and disturbing. The report includes 35 case studies of sexual grooming and exploitation in the UK amongst the Asian/ Muslim community. The report found that often girls were picked according to their vulnerability, which may be caused by several factors, and often the offenders are of the same ethnic background as the victims themselves. The ages "preferred" by the offenders were usually young teens, 13-16, but there were also younger victims (as young as 9) and older ones (as old as 30). Schools were a significant location where grooming began and young boys were often involved in beginning the cycle of abuse before passing the girls on to older men. While this report focuses on a relatively small sample in the Asian/ Muslim community, it stresses that statistically, such abuse is committed more by White males on White females, despite media coverage that this is a crime committed largely by Asian men against White girls and women.
The shame and honour of the girl and her family was noted as a major factor relating to not pressing charges against the perpetrators, even after the abuse had ended, as well as the girls' own family and friends not believing her, or re-victimising her by insisting that it was her fault and perhaps forcing her into a marriage in order to cover the matter without tackling the root of the problem or searching for the criminals. An interesting observation was also the involvement of other females encouraging or ignoring the offenders' behaviour, and not defending the women.
A shocking case was of a young teenage girl being abused by her own father, brother and uncle, normally considered guardians of the family and the women of the family, and on one occasion her grandmother entered the room to witness the father raping his own daughter, and she simply told the girl not to say anything to anyone because of the shame it would bring on the family: absolutely vile behaviour and mentality.
In another case there was a group of young girls and boys who went to a park and only one girl amongst them was raped by all the boys, with no protest by the other girls.
The extent of such abuse is under recorded and under reported. But the cases that already have been exposed are already too extreme, sinister and disgusting that it would make the blood of any reasonable person boil. A young woman of around 20 years old was being abused in a house by several men, who would call their friends and family to "join in the fun", an ordeal which supposedly lasted around 6 hours. A man even called his 15-year-old son in his school uniform to come and practice on the girl. Here, it is evident that there is a whole community involved that is keeping an enormous and sick secret. A problem we're facing is that no one is vocalising their suspicions about strange relationships and behaviour and even if certain behaviour is recognised to exist, it is not condemned or punished. It is just overlooked.
The case studies were so shocking that I haven't yet had the courage to read them all because I was so disturbed and disgusted. No doubt the pain and trauma of the girls is thousands of times worse, because the reality of these events happening in our own communities, on our doorsteps, on our streets, in our parks and schools, all these strange activities are being ignored or brushed under the carpet by everyday people but these girls live and experience the pain of the ugly side of the community alone, with no help or support. Consequently, male superiority complex is increased, and the next generation is taught once again that women are objects who need to obey male whims.
There is no racial or religious barrier when it comes to stupidity, idiocy or criminality. These criminals can come from all walks of life, of all social classes and racial and religious backgrounds. Often money and social status and reputation protect these offenders, and sometimes just the fact that they're males. Awareness in communities is vital in trying to protect vulnerable girls but also to alert women that they need to be active in condemning this crime because it is a disease in society, one that needs everyone's effort to wipe it out. We are all responsible for protecting vulnerable people in our families, schools, friend-groups and mosques.
A link to the report for those interested: http://www.mwnuk.co.uk/go_files/resources/UnheardVoices.pdf
