No more victims!

My phone rings again. …  The Tahel hotline rings again…  Over and over, day after day, the cases keep coming forward to Tahel.  One more child is raped. One more teenager is molested.  We read the stories.  We hear them on the news.  And yet, how many of us decide to take back our communities?  How many of us choose to fight this devastating epidemic?

Five years ago, a young medical student was gang raped and murdered in India. Thousands took to the street for days on end. Thousands refused to sit by silently and accept the fact that an innocent young student was tortured and raped and eventually died from her wounds.  Thousands decided to take back their society and demand a change.

I wonder why we are not doing the same? Why are we listening to the stories in the media, and then returning to our everyday existence?  Why aren’t we demanding safer societies?  Why aren’t we demanding safer schools?  Why aren’t we insuring the safety of our women and children?

There is much that we as parents, citizens and society can do.  We can demand protocols of safety in our institutions. We can demand that every teacher receive a yearly workshop to recognize child sexual abuse.  We can demand that every child and teenager receive a workshop to prevent sexual abuse.  We can decide that enough is enough!!  Our children deserve to be safe!!!

Tahel will be showing the movie “India’s Daughter” on Monday July 2 at the Jerusalem Cinematheque. This award winning documentary film describes the uproar that occurred in India.  Let’s learn from this film how to protect our children and move forward from a place of helplessness to a place of accountability.  Our children deserve to grow up in a society that condemns abuse, and accepts responsibility for their safety.  Join us!!!