The dangers we expose our daughters to

There was a story online last Tuesday (October 1st) about a Miss Chekwube who was allegedly raped to death the day before by eight artisans at Odume Obosi in Idemili North Council Area of Anambra State.
It was reported that a 20-year-old male family friend was the mastermind of it all. Below are excerpts from   the source of the story.
“The boy went out with the late Chekwube for the errand for her father even as one artisan has been arrested.
“Family sources said she was sent to buy a-hundred Naira garri by her father who came back from work at about 9 pm, because there was no food for him in the house, but she never came back.
“The sources said a meter away to their entrance gate, the hoodlums allegedly dragged Chekwube to an uncompleted building where she was raped violently to death.
“Narrating his daughter’s ordeal, Mr. Mbaka regretted that if he had known that sending his daughter out to buy food for his family could bring about people laying ambush for her, he should have preferred the entire family sleeping without dinner.
“Mbaka said he is suspecting the artisans from Okposi also of Ebonyi State who are living close to their yard to have masterminded the barbaric act, following the alleged regular sexual demands they have made to his daughter in the past.”
There are little things which over time parents have taken for granted, because their daughters have not encountered any dangers in the course of carrying out those responsibilities.
It is a general practice for young girls to be sent alone on errands to buy items from the kiosk next door or from that mallam’s place sometimes late into the night. It is also common sight to see these children going by themselves to fetch water or take things to the mill for grinding. For a lot of parents, as long as the girls are in a group, they have enough security even if there is no adult among them.
There have been cases where predators have seized such opportunities to pounce on their unsuspecting victims. This is as it happened with the late Chekwube. Although the report doesn’t state her age, it is clear that she was very vulnerable and couldn’t help herself. She may also have felt comfortable in the company of the said family friend not knowing what his plans were.
Sharing her views, Mabel Iyamu said “as parents we cannot do without sending our children on errands. It is part of raising them.”
The mother of one adds: “Although, in as much as parents might say that the girls need to be properly trained and well domesticated so that they can stand on their own in the future, I would like to say that it is possible to identify an age appropriate to expose them to such things. This, I mean, is under normal circumstances, because even as adults we are exposed to such dangers too.”
Predators take their time to plan their attacks and wait for an opportunity to find the weakest link before they strike.
Errands are not the only opportunities predators look out for to take on their victims as Sarah Pam points out.  “It annoys me when I visit some homes and it is their five-year-old daughter who comes to answer the door when I knock. I ask myself what business a five-year-old has answering the door?
“We tend to become complacent wit these things and take it for granted and when the unexpected happens we then begin to cry blue murder.
“Also, I see little girls being given a bath by their brothers or other male relatives. I think that is way out of line, because as a parent that is giving meat to a lion,” Pam adds.
Mr. Solomon Adejoh says “my landlord and I are the only occupants of our premises. I can’t count how many times I see his three year-old girl trying to open the gate herself to go outside to play.
“Each time I caution her, her mother makes a face indicating her displeasure. So I stopped. The worry is even more than the possibility of her being assaulted. The gate opens into a main street. With careless drivers plying it, the child could be knocked down,” he said.
According to Wuraola Adekojo, “it is something we are all guilty of. We become complacent because our children haven’t been harmed, but I’ve come to see that proper upbringing of children does not necessarily mean how we send them on errands or how hard we make them work.
 “A lot of parents have exposed their children especially girls to so many situations that may have resulted in men taking advantages of them. Parents should know that so many things have changed in society. Stories of men sleeping with or defying girls of two years abound so it is better not to take chances and expose the girl-child unnecessarily.
“It is a difficult situation though I agree that some precautionary steps can be taken to avert some of the mishaps which occur. But looking at parenting nowadays I think we should do all in our power to avoid such situations,” he said.
Difficult as it may, the frequency of these crimes against children is enough warning alarm for parents to be more alert and device means to reduce the risks daughters are exposed to in the name of being properly trained.