Maybe it has something to do with being a mother, while also being a lawyer, but when I read news headlines about sex offenders being given bail of some pathetic amount, I want to scream, shout and hire a hitman to sort out the little problem… ok, maybe not that drastic, but there is a lot that can be done with a sharp knife and a swift “swoosh” of a blade. (I did say drastic, didn’t I?)

The mere fact that a previous teacher, like Willem Breytenbach was given bail of R 50 000 must be a punch to the gut of those young men.   Just imagine the amazing amount of strength that it took of this guy’s victims to come forward, and then to see him walk out of jail on bail?  This is one part of our legal system that I just don’t get.

Whether it is the Bishop’s Polo teacher, the after-care teacher who sexually groomed the boys in her classroom in Bloemfontein or the parents who molested their own children in your town, it is simply sickening.  And,  is it just me or have these types of headlines become a weekly affair?  We used to be shocked reading about these offences, and now it is just another headline?  How did we allow society to get to this stage?

Add to this the new sex education forced into schools and it starts to feel as if our children are under attack.   No wonder that parents are becoming more paranoid by the minute and we are holding our kids closer and closer, and maybe just a bit too tight?  When will our children learn how to walk into Spar alone to buy a bread, pay for it and bring the change to the car? I am quite sure my mom silently freaked out while allowing us to do this in the 90’s, but we were taught these basics in commerce with such a simple exercise like buying the daily bread.

So now we silently protest and sign the petitions like #leaveourkidsalone, purple foundations and we all turn into helicopter parents, who is always close enough to our children.  All the while thinking about what is in the future for our children?

So enter my magic genie, give me a magic wand, and a free wish and I would wish for the following:   No bail for alleged sex offenders and if found guilty, a life time in prison without parole, and if I ask pretty please…  a swift swoosh of that very drastic blade I spoke about.