On Sunday, an 18-year-old was sentenced to three months in jail in Dubai for molesting a 7-year-old boy. Now that their devastating ordeal is over, it's worth asking whether the punishment will deter the molester from committing further acts.
But there's another question worth asking as well: will the victim and the offender get the help they need to move on?
As we've reported frequently on these pages, the Government has taken the safety of its people seriously. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Justice organised a seminar to highlight the importance of providing care for sexual assault victims and reducing the repercussions of the traumatic experience.
But while a one-day seminar is a welcome start, even more urgent care and treatment is needed for those abused, and those who violate another's dignity. Treatment for the victim, and their attacker, is equally important.
Punitive measures alone will never be sufficient to eradicate this crime from society. Inside and outside courts, sex crime victims should be treated as victims, and their attackers should be punished severely. But just as important, their wounds must be treated.
Too often, victims who report this crime are ignored, face social stigmas - such as making it difficult to marry - or are punished themselves. Some are even forced to pay their own medical costs. Treating victims like criminals will not provide them the support they need to move on. Society must learn not to turn their backs on those who suffer this fate. This is especially true when the victim is a child.
At the same time, therapy for attackers must also be considered part of this problem's solution. Several defendants who have been charged with sexual assault in recent court cases had committed similar crimes before. Jail time may be necessary, but so too is proper counselling.
Part of the problem is inconsistency in punishments, which raises questions about sentencing protocols.
Perhaps the attacker in this week's case was given a relatively lenient sentence because he was himself a teenager. But as both parties return home, psychological scars will persist. Their need for help won't end when the gavel falls.
