The Harm IS Within (Update)
Who exactly is being protected?
A few days ago I made a post about my baby cousin who was being raped by her father. This is an update.
I don't know what I expected. Or how I expected this to go exactly. But I am laying here in a pool of disappointment.
I have been trying to reach Alicia to really talk to her. But since Thursday morning, she has not been picking my calls. I don't know if this is intentional. If they are keeping her away from calls. So I tried to reach out to my mum—the one who informed me about the incident in the first place.
I just got off a call with my mum and my big mum. They were the pioneers. The ones fighting to make him pay legally. I spoke to them separately.
My mum told me the crime was far worse than I thought.
A lot of emotional manipulation. Coercion. He even told Alicia she didn't need to worry—he would help her abort the baby if she was actually pregnant.
Thankfully, she isn't.
It also came out that he has apparently been fingering his new wife's baby. And had tried to harass his younger sister before. She only said that to show it was a “normal feeling” he has always had.
When the news first broke that he had been molesting his daughter, there was an uproar. Everybody was angry. His wife abroad was mad. Alicia's mother even travelled down to Benin. My aunt was furious. Her elder brother was furious.
But apparently, after a day or so, everybody's heart softened toward him.
He made sure to call and beg. Prey on whatever emotions they had left. Now nobody wants him to face legal repercussions.
My mum and big mum—who had been fighting to take him to jail—suddenly look like the bad, unforgiving people.
Apparently, they want the case handled within the village. They don't want their brother to go to jail.
“He might have had a change of heart. It's not impossible. There's nothing God cannot do.”
Again—to say I am angry is an understatement.
Alicia was on a call with my big mum. She begged her not to take her daddy to jail.
“I don't want to be the reason my daddy goes to jail.”
I am irritated by it all. I still don't believe she is old enough to understand the gravity of what happened to her. She should not be the one to make such decisions.
She—and the whole family—have been manipulated by this man. I applaud his skills, in fact. He has somehow convinced everyone he was a victim of some circumstance or spirit. With his irritating fake suicide attempt.
They are starting to feel sorry for the criminal. Forgetting he is not the victim.
I feel so much more for her now—for when she starts to feel the real gravity of what was done to her. She doesn't deserve this.
It seems my fight is going nowhere. Even the people who were on my side are faltering. Because even the victim has had a “change of heart.”
They keep saying: “What if he's changed?”
The bigger question is: What if he hasn't?!
The consequences of the second question hold so much more weight. Because he will do this again. To other poor, vulnerable babies.
What if he is doing this to babies who haven't even seen their periods yet? It was the fear of pregnancy that made Alicia speak up.
Now they are saying he is not safe where he is anymore. Because the neighbours will try to protect themselves from him.
Duh!!
I don't even want him to be safe. Safety is not something I wish for a predator. Be it my uncle or my son.
They are suggesting he leave Benin. Start over somewhere new where no one knows he touches kids.
So he can gain access to them all over again?
Hell no!
I am so angry that they are bringing religious nonsense into this too. Someone even told me it is witchcraft for me to keep pushing when it doesn't seem to be in my favour. God doesn't want that.
If this makes me a witch, so be it.
A predator on the loose is putting so many prey at risk.
I don't even know how to feel right now. This case has left me distraught. Downcast.
I don't know if taking matters into my own hands is best now.
Because nobody seems to want to.
I contacted Obidi on TikTok, I know she will post about it if she sees my message. But the case will become public and I don’t know if you want your cousin exposed to that, but this is too terrible to ignore or hide.
How do you assist in creating a child, only to end up sexually assaulting that very child? There is no logic to this.
I wonder why her mother isn’t fighting for her. The police should have been involved by now.
That man is a repeat offender and they need to get his ass in jail, because if he leaves the community he will just look for a new victim and NO, it's not the devil that man is just plain evil. Alicia is being gaslight and manipulated, I understand the fact that she feels it's her fault but it's honestly not if he did not suffer any consequences now she will just see this experience as normal and it's not.
HE NEEDS TO GO TO JAIL. Any family member covering for him is also evil at. I'm so angry.
They will keep making excuses for him while his victim count continues increasing. He just needs to go to jail. Alicia needs therapy what happened to her is not normal.