The March 13 interview of a four-year-old victim of sexual assault over Brigada News FM was beyond vile and vulgar. It was disgraceful, deplorable, not to mention, deeply disturbing.
Two grown men preying on an innocent child who obviously did not yet have the capacity to comprehend what happened to her.
Two professionals asking a child deeply-probing questions about the sexual violence inflicted upon her without regard for her mental and psychological well-being.
Two broadcast journalists drawing out the salacious details of a child’s sexual assault.
It was horrific to hear. But it was also heartbreaking to listen to the childlike candor with which the child innocently described the unconscionable acts committed upon her. I could not imagine anyone who would relish listening to the graphic details of this horrendous act. It was stomach-churning.
What would drive two grown men to feast on the details of a four-year-old child’s sexual assault? Would it be the need to feed their prurient proclivities? Or would it be the desire to drive engagement in their social media feeds?
Whatever their motivations were, their actions were a tragic display of a degenerate form of journalism—one that is rapidly rising but one we must put an end to. Today.
Because we are better than this. And those who are not—must be better. And those who cannot be better—must leave.
To lead a four-year-old child to recount the lurid details of her sexual assault does not represent the best of journalism. It represents the worst of human behavior.
From two broadcast journalists, the behavior was completely unethical, unprofessional and unpardonable. It was absolutely sickening to listen to two grown men prodding a four-year-old child to narrate her sexual assault in graphic detail. It was repulsive, revolting and reprehensible.
What kind of men are you?
I am livid. But I am also grief-stricken. We have flown so high as digital creators but we have sunk so low as human beings. For how much lower can we go when we abandon all humanity and utilize the rape of a child as a means to feed our egos, to boost our careers, to improve our metrics?
When the film “Taken 1” was released in 2009, I forced my 14-year-old niece to watch it because I wanted her to know the dangers of sex trafficking. When the scene of men queuing up to pay to have sex with women who were obviously abducted and held against their will came up, she turned to me and said, “But what kind of men are they?”
There are few moments in my life when I have no answers. This was one of them.
I still have no answer for why the world has a surfeit of debased men. But I hope there is a special place in hell for them.
How low will you go to increase visibility and reach? Would you abuse a child to gain more subscribers, views, likes, shares and comments? Would you sell your soul to the Devil to secure fame, fandom and following?
What kind of men are you?