The Economics of Incest Rape

Cath’s story of a father who raped his daughter for two decades reminded me of the similar stories I have heard through the years. A father raping his daughter is not uncommon. It usually happens when the daughter is in her tweens or teens. It does not matter if the family lives in a one room house or not. Or whether the mother is an absentee or a stay at home mom or not. A perpetrator will always find ways to do the deed. And a mother who turns a blind eye to what her husband is doing to their daughter is not uncommon either.
 

Take for example, Jinx. Jinx filed a complaint against her father. Her parents are fisherfolks. An investigation revealed that the father has been boasting to his drinking buddies that his daughter is maluwag. A witness, Jinx’ younger sister saw the incident. After the father spent one year in jail, the mother comes and says that the the rape did not actually happen but that Jinx was forced to invent a tale. And the mother says further that she cannot, by herself, earn the living for the family and that she needs her husband, pronto, to help her in working. So Jinx recants her story and the father goes free. One big happy family. 
 
Juana was raped by her father but her mother told her to just bear it otherwise, Juana will not be able to continue her schooling. Or Jas whose mother allowed her husband to use Jas because she (the mother) can no longer be used as she is always tired and sick.

The fact that a father can even think of raping his daughter is sickening. But that a mother will allow her husband to use their daughter in such a way is beyond disgusting. The reasoning is usually similar to Jinx’ mother. A husband in jail cannot earn a living and without a living, the family starves.  Or the mother is earning a livng but without a husband to help out, the family income is much reduced. As the husband is the income earner, he is allowed his liberties so long as he brings home the bacon. Or he is king as he earns money. The father seems to thinks that it is his right and that he is entitled to his pleasures. Or he thinks that his daughter are his property and he is free to do with them whatever he wants. After all, they came from him. The mother many times, reflect the same attitude. So the victim is usually faced with the choice of recanting her story of rape or seeing her family starve. The choice is easy. The courts and the agencies who are supposed to protect the children cannot do anything. Without any witnesses, there is nothing.