CHILD ABUSE: How Not to Use Camera At Home

An Abused Nigerian Child.

I do not have the capacity to watch any video, where kids or women are being molested, maltreated or dehumanized. It always leaves me traumatised for a very long time. As a result, I always skip, delete or ignore such videos.

I saw some video of a paedophile, molesting a two-year old baby girl over a year ago in London. I’m yet to recover from it. In fact, I immediately told a friend, who showed me to delete it off his phone instantly, because it was criminal to share such and he did. But that horrendous image of the baby crying endlessly hasn’t left my memory.

Therefore, to avoid any such mental torture, I don’t do such videos. If anyone had the mind to watch, I ask the individual to tell me and where it gets realty nasty I stop the person from going further and simply walk away. I just cannot stand it.

The video of a certain two years old boy, said to have been dehumanized by his nanny to the extent that she fed him with faeces has left me completely distraught. I’d received the video from different people, including my wife but could not watch. However, I was able to read the story and understand it.

My wife and I have had the discussion about camera in the house on so many occasions and often disagreed on the mode of operation. At a point, we ran the matter by Senator Ganiyu Solomon, who agreed with my standpoint but my wife was not completely convinced until I pulled my weight and insisted, “this is how I want it done”. Period!

Today, after sending me the video and reading my response, where I reminded her of my unchanging position, she finally agreed with my position, adding that her conviction was further reinforced by the narration of the boy’s mother.

Now, let me ask you, what is the number one reason for having a camera in the house: to prevent harm or have harm on record? I think it is to prevent harm. However, if by sheer happenstance harm was recorded, so be it. But that is not my primary reason.

It is for no reason that when you visit some offices or sensitive places, the message is clear about the environment being totally wired. In fact, people with dogs in their homes always do the same too. You are simply not left with the option of feigning ignorance.

This way, any prospective criminal or evil-driven character is effectively kept in check. The moment you have been served a notice about your environment, there is no way you won’t act right, because you have been forewarned.

If that’s correct and sounds logical, why do people then have cameras in their houses but refuse to let their domestic staff or people generally know, just because they want to catch someone do wrong? How? Is it not common sense that certain harm is irreversible? Why do I want to catch you hurt me, when I can prevent it by keeping you in check?

For whatever it is worth, that boy may have been left damaged for good just because some God-forsaken beast of no gender was allowed to test her mettle and ride roughshod in the house without any safe mechanism in place.

She didn’t have to know where the cameras are or able to demobilise them. You also need to prove to her that it is not a joke by taking some time out to relay all that she did at home at a particular time, thus corroborating your camera warning narrative.

Parents with cameras in the house must embrace the normal culture. You gain nothing by keeping it secret. You’d end up being hurt the most. Let everyone know there’s camera in the house and leave it at that. That way, even if they are all acting nice and pretending, the better for all of us than letting the devil manifest himself in your home.

Today, no politician or fellow of importance goes to see someone at home for something serious, sensitive or bearing security implications and not ask what part of their home is safe. By implications, he or she is asking for that part of your house without a camera. These things are basic!

I pray God heals that little boy miraculously and completely.

Olawale Olaleye writes for ThisDay Newspapers.