Sexual assault, rape, child sexual abuse – whatever it is called is about power not sex.
(From Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young)
And nowhere can this be exemplified but at Nauru where reports of sexual abuse of children in the Detention Centre have come to light.
“The claims included that women inside the centre were being forced to strip and exchange sexual favours with guards so they could have access to the showers.
There were also claims that children were being forced to have sex in front of guards at the centre.”
Vulnerable and traumatised women and children.
Refugees who have escaped horrific situations – war, torture and civil conflict – who have often spent years seeking refuge and safety.
The most vulnerable of humanity. Locked up in concentration camps (detention centres) on a foreign, alien remote island.
And those charged with their ‘care’. Working in an organisation whose structure is developed under an ideology of racism and misogyny which attempt in every way to dehumanise these vulnerable people.
Every aspect of the detention of these people has been designed to humiliate and demean.
So it is no surprise that in such an environment those in charge will abuse their power and sexually abuse women and children.
And Scott Morrison, on behalf of the Australian government has responded in a typically patriarchal pattern.
“The public don’t want to be played for mugs with allegations being used as some sort of political tactic in all of this.”
“However, we note that the allegations by Senator Hanson-Young have been made publicly and in the context of broader political statements to discredit the government’s involvement in offshore processing.”
For centuries women’s and children’s claims of male sexual violence have been met with suspicion, disbelief and contempt.
When women and children have raised concerns of rape and sexual assault they have been dismissed, demonised and vilified.
Called liars. Blamed for asking for it.
This is a culture where the most vulnerable of women and children are dehumanised, called illegals, their human rights ignored.
Treated with such inhumanity.
It is therefore believable that those charged with “guarding” them would abuse their power to rape women and children – to treat them as less than human.
This is patriarchy at its worst – misogynistic, racist and inhumane.
When will this stop?
