Story on Oprah: Cradle Rape

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I watched Oprah today and I've never felt more disgusted or ill in my life, hearing about babies that are being raped in South Africa by grown, AIDS infested 'men' who have been told that if they have sex or 'lay with a child' that the purity of the virgin child will cause the AIDS to go away.

Have any of you ever heard a more sickening thing? They told of a 8 month old........8 MONTHS OLD......that had been savagely gang rapes and cut. The baby was found abandoned and was rushed to the hospital. The injuries so severe, that even the ER doc's cried. AMAZING TO ALL, that precious little miracle lived!! She was adopted by an amazing lady and the baby, now 2 is healthy, loving, and doing well.

My heart is so heavy with this horrafic thing that is going on.

As nurses, what could we do? I don't know how I would even react if I had to treat a patient like this. Would my emotions consume me? Could I be partial?? Oprah said that the country is ashamed. I GUESS SO!! What could our country, our medical society do to help stop this?? Any suggestions??

"but.... to many africans - life is cheap. it is not valued."

certainly these are illicit, brutal attacks perpetrated out of sociopathic ignorance, but i am dumbfounded by the audacity of someone to say that life is cheap and not valued by most africans? in reality, the life of africans is cheap and not valued to westernized countries who watch a viral genocide sweep across an entire continent without batting an eye. at the start of colonization, african men, women, and children have been victimized by profiteering politicians with no respect for native culture and even less regard for humanity. most africans have endured through arduous wars, wavering and self-serving governments, and absolute poverty--only to be met 50 years later with the ebola virus and hiv. (by the way, the african government first recognized an "epidemic" in 1977 when brittan sent african troops into the middle east to fight against political leaders previously known as us allies.) african life must then be cheap to western countries which raped africa's resources making its people fiscal slaves, but held on to the purse strings when it came to saving africans from an impending catastrophe late in the 1980's. african life was certainly not valued well into the 1990's, when, realizing the profound and devastating impact of aids on sub-saharan africa, we continually voted down funding that would promote life saving educational information in remote regions where ignorance about modern medicine was as rampant as disease. now, only 15 years after the original legislator was purposed, can we all be appalled about the horrific abuse of children. certainly nobody would argue that these children were violated and abused in the most repulsive of ways. i will, however, argue that life is cheap to most africans, who have been struggling to attain the erudition where modern science and education bridge the gap between ignorance and poverty.

oh, and by the way, africa is called the dark continent because of years and years of injustice and discrimination. it is actually an old-testament biblical reference that comes from a story about the son of ham.

:angryfire

I heard this story from one of my classmates. I think it is sickening and sad. I think that there is still a lot of work to be done with educating people about HIV/AIDS. It is too bad that the funding needed for mass education and other things that will prevent or lessen the epidemic is not available. As far as what I would do or say to those who commit such crimes against humanity and who violate the rights of someone who can't speak for themselves, I can't say because it would fall under the non professional, "done lost my mind", "oh no the h*ll they didn't", and "you better watch yo' back" catagories. So, back to being "sane" and professional, they should have some law to prosecute people who do things like that.

I would have to say life is not valued by a lot of people. It isn't an African quality.

Specializes in Case Management, Acute Care, Missions.

I said "many" - not "most" - big difference.

I realize that the title "the dark continent" was mis-used, but I think it does capture some of what goes on there.

And yes, the western world did horrible things and Africa continues to suffer because of what happened during colonization.

Westerners didn't need to come along to ruin things. The tribal wars and genocide started way before anybody else came along - and it continues. People are being brutally murdered and governments (both African and western) and looking the other way.

I actually got the "life is cheap" from a book I read written by an African-American called "Out of America" by Keith Richburg- the author got in a bunch of hot water for not being politically correct but he also got a lot of recognition for stating the truth. I had several people who grew up in Africa (both white and black) state is was a correct representation of what goes on there. -and yes Fergus -not valuing life is a worldwide crisis.

Many African governements refused to even recognize that AIDS was a problem - and any education or prevention was seen as a way to keep the Africans from pro-creating. South Africa's president thinks that AIDS is caused by anitretroviral drugs and poverty. Now poverty definately has something to do with, but here is an African leader telling lies. Many doctors in Zimbabwe KNOW about the AIDS crisis and yet they REFUSE to even discuss it with their pts... and they have antiretrovirals now... they have had nevirapine for several years now to decrease the transmission from mother to fetus and yet there is still a LARGE number of women who don't want to know and refuse to take the meds (we offer it free of charge).

The problems in Africa are VERY complex, and I can't even begin to understand it all. I spent a year in a country on the verge of war trying to understand and much of it still doesn't make sense - and that was just one country let alone the continent.

Specializes in Long-term care, wound care.
the mother is a prostitute and addicted to drugs and alcohol. the men that gang raped the 5 month old cut her from lady parts to rectum. she wore a colostomy for awhile. they didn't say if she had it reversed or not. her internal organs were so damaged they weren't sure what they were sewing up. it is so unbelievably horrific.

i am sure some of it is ignorance. but that is still no excuse to harm a child. i mean, for a grown man to believe that having sex with a baby will cure them is not even rational. the best part of her ordeal is that she is negative for hiv/aids.

the iraqi extremist people would like to behead someone. i can think of a group of people who need their heads cut off for what they have done. both heads. starting with the small one first. so they can feel some of the agony they put those babies through. :angryfire

too sad. :crying2: the poor little thing really didn't have a chance. thank god that she is negative for aids & hiv though. i completely agree with your post!

Specializes in Case Management, Acute Care, Missions.
The clinic my son participated in a couple of days ago had an incident with a child of 2 or 3 who was taken to the witchdoctor due to pain and inability to stand or walk. I don't know all the details but a red thread was tied around her wrist. The nurses did talk the mom into cutting the thread and coming to the clinic but what can you do in an afternoon? We need medical teams with physicians heading into the jungle.

This is one case where a dose of Christianity would do wonders - not that I'm all for taking away folks culture. But these witchdoctors are doing great harm.

I can't wait for my son to get back from Africa . . so much to talk about.

I have a feeling Africa will always be close to his heart too.

steph

Steph - I would love to hear about his experiences too. I have another 18 months before I get to go back and it is driving me crazy! Most people who go, become enraptured with Africa despite all the bad stuff - we call it "malaria of the heart".

I hear what my friends are dealing with, the politcal oppression, famine, AIDS etc and my heart breaks. I had one friend die already this year and 2 more are very sick.

Christianity is very well received .... the CDC in Atlanta has actually done studies about AIDS education and found that faith-based programs had the greatest impact on people changing their behavior, thus decreasing the transmission of the virus. So... they are working with several mission hospitals in the country to develop a biblically based AIDS education program that is going to be used in all the schools. I think that they are currently using it to instruct the teachers and then the teachers will start using it in the classrooms.

Their culture is awesome and has a lot to offer the world... but I agree - the witch doctors got to go.

Lori

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
i am just horrified at the depravity of man! how low can mankind sink. this just makes me sick.

its hard for me, as a christian, to see how sin causes such perversness in people-and to hear about the graphic details is just...beyond belief.

Just what difference ...as a Christian...make it any easier to find it abhorrant?

And as far as whether a dose of Christianity would help, well that remains to be seen. Some of these same practices go on in the meditterranean/eastern European countries among "Christian" espousing groups. Coptic Christians used to espouse genital mutilation for women.

Christians in this country murdered, lynched and abused Mormons. "Christian" Separatist groups espouse rascist doctrine and racial war. The Dark Continent has not cornered the market on abuse.

And I have gone on mission to Africa...and I am not Christian.

Please stop equating Christian = moral and nonChristian = immoral.

There are many other "faith based" systems other than Christianity.

I saw that show too, and felt to sick and so sad for those kids.... and it really did make me feel fortunate that we were born in this country, for all the complaining we do about our government... Another part of that show that was disturbing was the father in Italy who forced his son into prostitution; you hear about it, etc... but to actually see it and hear the little boy talk as he gets into the car with who he thought was the person who was paying to have sex with him, that was upsetting. The mom didn't know abou it supposedly, but to be so desperate for money that a person feels they have to sell their child like that? I can't comprehend that!

Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
Just what difference ...as a Christian...make it any easier to find it abhorrant?

And as far as whether a dose of Christianity would help, well that remains to be seen. Some of these same practices go on in the meditterranean/eastern European countries among "Christian" espousing groups. Coptic Christians used to espouse genital mutilation for women.

Christians in this country murdered, lynched and abused Mormons. "Christian" Separatist groups espouse rascist doctrine and racial war. The Dark Continent has not cornered the market on abuse.

And I have gone on mission to Africa...and I am not Christian.

Please stop equating Christian = moral and nonChristian = immoral.

There are many other "faith based" systems other than Christianity.

Great post. I'm not a Christian, either...and I find it absolutely abhorrent. I also have a moral compass.

Absolutely true, Carolina.

Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.
I saw that show too, and felt to sick and so sad for those kids.... and it really did make me feel fortunate that we were born in this country, for all the complaining we do about our government... !

I absolutely agree with you Theresa. The absence of any government involvement, not only in the AIDS crisis but also things like female genital mutilation, the degradation of women as a whole, etc. (and I'm not just speaking about women here, but all people) is frightening.

I know we do complain about our government on a daily basis, but we need to look over-seas and see how very, very lucky we are. The "corruption" of any of our branches of government does hold a candle to things that go on in foreign countries. Yes, we still have many social problems and injustices, things I work to counter-act with voting, letters, monetary contributions, and my time, but it is very painful and shocking to see this kind of thing, like the stories on Ophah. I don't watch her often (enough), but God bless her for having the courage to bring this kind of thing forward and not bury it.

Kim, I don't know how you stand that professor! How freakin' infuriating can one person be?!?!? And to have to endure another semester with him? Don't forget to rate him at rateyourprofessors.com. I've only passed by there once, but have a good friend that won't take a course unless a prof is listed there with a good rating! Bless your heart for not walking out on the ba$**rd!

I was appauled when I read this thread. It's so sad. The baby wasn't 8 months she was 5 months old. I read her story and it broke my heart. I can't understand why this is allowed to continue. Why don't they make it publicly know that it is a myth that "men" can't be cured of AIDS by bedding an infant? I read the story at http://www.amrita.co.uk/princesstrust/story.htm.

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