For Abir

14 years old.

Remember that next time you hear some reporter or anchor refer to her as a “young woman”. The soft-pedalling of her age by American media is a reflection of the sense that it’s somehow better when an adult is raped, which is itself motivated by the desire to take the blame off the rapist. But pay attention the next time they throw an 18 year old kid in jail as a sexual predator for having consensual sex with a 14 year old, and ask yourself why it is that we find the line between childhood and adulthood so elastic?

Thanks to Raed’s blog for the link.