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Abuzar Nasrollahi

Sexual violence against children and adolescents encompasses a wide range of crimes, unlike the usual violence against adults. Sexual violence against adults is often criminalized in civilized societies, but these acts may not be recognized in some countries, including our own, when it comes to children and adolescents. Sexual violence against adults is usually defined as an inappropriate sexual relationship involving force, coercion, or lack of consent. However, when it comes to children and adolescents, it refers to any type of sexual exploitation that involves engaging them in activities that satisfy the sexual desires of adults. In other words, sexual violence includes any contact or interaction between a child and an adult that exploits the child for sexual gratification.

The memory of “Mohammad Bijeh”, the Tehran night bat, still remains on the minds of Iranians. He took pride in what he had done, to the extent that he said if he were to be released, he would not refrain from committing crimes again. Mohammad Bijeh himself was a victim of sexual violence as a child, and if he had received support at the time, his tendency towards criminal behavior would not have developed. As a child or adolescent, after experiencing violence, he would display emotional and psychological reactions related to the time and place of the crime, and would imitate the behavior of the perpetrator. According to criminal researchers, a child who has been a victim of violence may go on to commit heinous and dangerous crimes such as threats, sexual assault, rape, intentional murder, and child abduction.

Therefore, even though a child may not be able to physically protect themselves from abusers, there must be conditions in place for them to be able to easily speak about the pain they have suffered in order for supportive measures to be taken.

Lack of awareness in children about being exposed to violence or the way to report their own situation, fears and traditional beliefs, the “mask” of the criminal, erasing the evidence of the crime or the effects of the crime by the perpetrator, the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, and even legal and judicial policies are among the factors that can prevent the disclosure of the situation of child or adolescent victims of violence.

1- One.

Lack of awareness of a child or adolescent about their own sexual abuse situation and how to report it.

Children or adolescents who live in societies, environments, and families where certain types of abuse or deviance are normalized may perceive being abused as a normal occurrence. For example, many girls who become victims of religious traditions involving female genital mutilation may rarely feel like they have been victimized in their conscious minds, even though they may suffer from the consequences of the abuse throughout their lives, especially during sexual activities. Sometimes, this goes even further and the victim may feel satisfied or even happy about being abused. For instance, a girl under the age of 18 who, despite all human rights prohibitions, is forced by her father or grandfather to marry an adult, may not only be unaware of being victimized, but may also feel content with the situation. However, in the following years, she will always suffer from the deprivation of her right to choose a spouse or from the violence of a sexual assault at the beginning of her marriage.

Similarly, when children or teenagers are exposed to a form of violence, they may resort to the current situation due to feelings of guilt or false fear of punishment. This issue, which is considered one of the most dangerous forms of hiding violence, can exacerbate the situation of violence.

Even if a child or adolescent is aware of their situation, due to the lack of any educational program, they cannot identify support resources to report their victimization, or in case of occurrence, it is possible for unqualified individuals to be involved in their victimization, which not only perpetuates their hidden victimization, but also may lead to them becoming victims of other abusers.

The union of countries for development and the necessity of proper education for children and adolescents led to the adoption of UNESCO’s Agenda 2030 by heads of state at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. One of the programs of this agenda was education for children to prevent sexual violence or its expression after becoming a victim. Unfortunately, this document faced serious opposition in Iran and was ultimately rejected by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution on June 13, 2017.

2. Two.–

Cultural factors and nervousness.

In Islamic and Arab countries, the issue of nervousness, honor, protection, and dignity has become excessively ingrained in religious and cultural traditions. This mindset has led to a situation where if a child falls victim to sexual abuse, it causes irreparable damage to the family’s dignity and reputation. Families are often forced to flee from this shame or are forced to leave their homes in order to restore their lost honor. Instead of supporting and protecting the victim, they may choose to expel them or subject them to cruelty, and in extreme cases, even murder them.

The number of sexual assaults on children and adolescents is not small. However, only a small percentage of them come to light. A sexual assault can occur without the use of force. In the case of adolescents, the attacker may use a combination of sympathy and deception, and if that doesn’t work, they may resort to physical force. In most cases, the victim surrenders and refrains from reporting to others, because if there is any punishment involved, they will be the only one to lose their dignity. Therefore, a child or adolescent is forced to keep their secret hidden due to shame or fear. This issue forces victims, especially in sexual crimes, to accept and tolerate the situation. In societies where honor is considered the greatest asset of a person, in addition to hiding the crime, the victim is also forced to suffer for the rest of their life due to the loss of their honor and dignity. There are also cases where some perpetrators take advantage of this situation and, by threatening and

The sexual crime case known as “Nazem School” in West Tehran is a clear example of the existence of prejudice as a harm in the face of violence against children. After the discovery of the violence, initially 60 people claimed to have been assaulted, but only 16 of them went to the police and among them, only 8 filed a lawsuit in court. Newspapers cited the reason for the decrease in the number of complaints as parents trying to prevent shame and emotional damage to their children.

3-

Criminal personality.

In some parts of society, a criminal can hide their crimes behind a mask, which is often created through their profession or religious persona. Some criminals wear a professional mask on their face due to their job, and I refer to them as “black-masked criminals.” Others wear a mask of morality and purity on their double-faced persona, portraying themselves as holy and righteous while hiding all of their wrongdoings behind their sacred mask. I call these individuals “green-masked criminals.”

The victims of these criminals, because they cannot imagine that they have become victims of these “respectable” individuals, have either removed the reality of victimization from their minds or justify the criminal act in a way that they blame themselves. Secondly, if the victim wants to remove the mask from the faces of the “green-clad” or “black-clad” individuals, they are often faced with social resistance and are falsely accused and punished.

Despite all their self-righteousness, these “masked criminals” often let go of their control, as moments of anger, excitement, and fear bear witness to this reality. In such moments, they forget to quickly shift their masks, allowing sharp-eyed individuals to catch a clear glimpse of what they are hiding.

“Siyah Poush” sacrifices are less likely to reveal the criminal nature of their actions and instead either blame themselves or justify their actions. For example, a doctor who takes advantage of a child’s sexual organs during a medical examination, or a nurse who shows sexual desire towards a child while bathing them, are less likely to be accused. Even the victim may not realize they have been abused; if they do, they may forgive or excuse the “Siyah Poush” behavior. In cases where a teacher or school supervisor takes advantage of a child or teenager sexually, it may appear natural due to the trust the child has in them.

“The Green-Clad Oppressors” hide their committed crimes under the holy veil they have placed over their faces, and justify their actions with religious justifications. The culture dominant in religious societies also supports them. This is because in these societies, people are interested in individuals who, even though they may appear religious, have a sacred appearance. Victims of the “Green-Clad” are less likely to suspect the criminal nature of their actions due to the religious color and scent, and sometimes even believe that they are sinners and deserve to be sacrificed. Therefore, they are forced to accept their current situation and do not resist being sacrificed. Even if someone realizes the criminal nature of the “Green-Clad” actions, society will have a hard time accepting that this “saintly person” has committed a crime, and thus the crime will remain hidden. In her book “The Naked Face of the Arab Woman,” Nawal El Saadawi gives examples of sexual abuse against children

4-

The relationship between the hunter and the hunted.

The existence of family, worker and employer, servant and master, teacher and student relationships between children and their abusers are all examples of relationships that can prevent the occurrence of child abuse.

Children, especially young girls, may be subject to abuse by young or adult men in their family. In such incidents, the perpetrator not only takes advantage of the victim’s vulnerability, but sometimes also participates in determining the punishment for the victim and even carries it out. In other words, they pretend to be protective of the family’s honor and try to distance any suspicion from themselves. They may also use their power and influence over the child to hide their abuse and manipulate the child or adolescent.

In Iran, incest is so condemned that, except in exceptional cases, it is always kept hidden out of fear of shame and dishonor. All family members refrain from discussing or revealing it in order to protect their honor. Although incest is a significant form of violence, there are no statistics on it and the government also turns a blind eye. In other words, everyone has reached a general agreement to conceal the issue, resulting in it being a taboo topic for discussion.

Young workers who work in middle areas, because they need to provide for their livelihood, are forced to carry out exhausting tasks. It is obvious that if they have any objections to the current conditions, they will lose the job they need. Therefore, they are forced to accept violence and hide it.

5 – . (This is already in English and does not need to be translated.)

Elimination of theft or evidence of crime by thieves.

Crime has a vast and wide spectrum, and its perpetrators range from the smallest to the largest, from individuals to groups. In the present era, we witness the widespread trials of war criminals and political upheavals in various countries around the world, ranging from simple crimes against human life to genocide, ethnic cleansing, human trafficking, and the exploitation of women and children, both nationally and internationally.

However, a common issue that often occurs after committing crimes is that the perpetrator tries to eliminate the evidence in order to conceal their crime. This erasure of evidence can even extend to the murder of witnesses, making it easier for the perpetrator to remain hidden. This issue, which plays a significant role in concealing the crime, may be more prevalent among children and adolescents. This is because eliminating a child victim is relatively easier compared to other victims.

In cases like the Tehran Nights Bat or the case known as Praise, after sexually assaulting a child or teenager, the perpetrators murder the victim to silence the child’s screams forever and bury them along with the child under the rubble…

7-

Legal and judicial policies.

In policies where children and adolescents who have been abused do not receive special and differentiated support, and the same regulations for adults are applied to them with minor modifications, there is a higher likelihood of the abuse remaining hidden. The lack of specialized support systems or a separate justice system for minors can be a contributing factor to the concealment of crimes.

In addition, the legislator sometimes prescribes a form of violence. Article 1041 of the Civil Code prescribes marriage with children and adolescents. Although the amendments of 1379 have made this subject subject to the court’s determination, it is not justifiable considering that sexual relations with individuals under the age of 18 are undesirable in today’s laws and even in criminal law, it is considered a sexual deviation. Moreover, something that is inherently undesirable cannot be considered appropriate by a court order.

In addition to crimes against chastity, there are conditions that make proving the crime extremely difficult. However, these conditions were not present in the general penal code. For example, Islamic penal code considers penetration as a condition for rape, while taking into account the physical and psychological state of children and adolescents, simply touching is considered sufficient for the crime of rape.

The approach of the judicial and executive systems towards children who experience violence is a complex and important issue that may not receive proper attention. The fate of the case known as the Quran reciter has caused manifestations of mistrust among citizens to the extent that some members of parliament still express their grievances in their speeches.

Another point is that in countries where civil society participation in criminal policy has been institutionalized, the discovery of child and adolescent abuse is often the responsibility of civil organizations and committees for child protection. These institutions can prevent the hiding of the phenomenon of child and adolescent abuse. Therefore, the absence and inactivity of such institutions at a widespread level in society can lead to the exposure of a large number of child or adolescent victims. It is hoped that these civil society organizations, with the capacity created in the 2013 Criminal Procedure Law, can become active and have an impact.