Grave Consequences Like so many other girls who are raped, the harm caused by the rape continues far beyond the duration of the act itself. For many women and girls, there is danger of sexually transmitted infections, HIV infection and pregnancy. Because of pregnancy, many girls are forced to drop out of school thereby negatively impacting their life outcomes forever. Other consequences include social stigma and ostracisation. By the time the matter came to light, it was too late for Mary to receive any medication to prevent pregnancy or to institute legal proceedings for termination. Mary now th has a baby girl who was born on the 11 of June 2014. It is a child she never wanted or planned to have as she wanted to complete her education and become a doctor. Determination in the Face of Adversity Mary was determined to continue with her education in spite of the pregnancy. Her teachers were also determined to see to it that she continued with her education as it offered her the best chance of rising above the circumstances. Mary was therefore able to continue going to school until she delivered. In a remarkable show of strength and determination, Mary was back at school one week after she delivered her baby. She is determined to do well in her Ordinary Level examinations. The odds against Mary are very high. She has to fit her study around caring for the baby. If while she is studying the baby starts crying, Mary has to stop studying and breastfeed the baby or tend to its other needs. Weekdays are better as her mum helps out while she is at school. During the weekends, she has to assume full time motherhood duties while her mother goes to school. This would be extremely difficult for an adult woman to do. It is worse for a 16 year old. What is of even more concern in Mary’s case is that she is not the first victim of the perpetrator. According to the Probation Officer’s report, authorities from Mary’s school allege that Mary is the perpetrator’s third victim. He is alleged to have raped 2 other school girls, impregnating them both. This is contained in the Probation Officer’s report. What is not clear is whether the court took the report into account when the decision was made to acquit the accused. The reasons for judgment are pending, but on the face of it, there appears to be a lack of coordination between the police, Social Services and the justice system and the result is that perpetrators of heinous crimes walk free and continue to prey on young girls. Leaving Mary and Precious’s home after the interview, one is struck once again by their quiet dignity and determination to overcome the odds. However, one is also struck by terrible price rape victims have to pay in our society. One cannot help but hope that Mary does well in her examinations. Perhaps that will provide a small measure of comfort for this small family. 19 15