The increasing violence against women and children in Ethiopia, especially the horrifying cases of rape and murder, is a stain on our justice system and society. As a law student, the fact that I cannot help make me feel ashamed that our legal framework fails to deter these heinous crimes and protect the most vulnerable.
When we see recent Cases like heaven a 7 years old Ethiopian girl , who was brutally raped and killed, the woman who was tortured and left half-paralyzed, and the recent tragic case of Simbo Birhanu, another 7-year-old girl who was brutally raped and murdered, are not isolated incidents There are also more and more cases, some that are reported in the media and others that remain unreported, adding to the growing number of victims . They are part of a terrifying pattern that exposes the weaknesses in our laws and law enforcement. While Ethiopia has legal provisions criminalizing rape and gender-based violence, enforcement remains alarmingly weak. Perpetrators either go unpunished or receive lenient sentences that fail to serve as a deterrent. Victims and their families are left without justice, and the cycle of violence continues.
What is even more heartbreaking is that children, innocent and defenseless members of society, are being brutalized in ways that defy humanity. A child who should be playing, learning, and growing is instead subjected to unimaginable violence, often by those who should be protecting them. The trauma inflicted on these young lives is irreversible. Those who survive are left with deep psychological scars, and for those who do not, their deaths serve as tragic reminders of our collective failure.
It is unacceptable that, in a country with laws meant to protect women and children, such crimes are increasing instead of decreasing. If our legal system truly functioned as it should, cases like Simboo Biranu’s would not happen. Stricter laws, harsher punishments, and a justice system that prioritizes victims over perpetrators are urgently needed. There must be fast-tracked investigations, special courts for child abuse cases, and lifetime imprisonment or even a death penalty for those who commit such inhumane acts.
As law students and future legal professionals, we must demand change. It is our duty to fight for a legal system that ensures justice is served, not one that allows criminals to walk free while families mourn their daughters and sisters. Until that happens, how can we proudly say we study law? How can we look into the eyes of a grieving mother and say that justice exists when her child’s murderer walks free? Until our laws protect children the way they should, we can never say we have succeeded as a country.
Justice must not be a privilege for the strong, it must be a shield for the weak.
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