Death is not justice

A Survivor’s Story

I was reflecting on an issue, a survivor of abuse faces teenage pregnancy after being violated, while her abuser escapes accountability. The abuser denied paternity of the child and neither faced the justice system nor took accountability.

When an Abuser Dies Before Accountability

It made me wonder, when an abuser dies without ever being held accountable, is that a kind of justice? Or is it a slap in the survivor’s face.he abuser then died before the baby was born. It made me wonder, when an abuser dies without ever being held accountable, is that a kind of justice? Or is it a slap in the survivor’s face.

Death Does Not Undo Abuse

Everyone dies at some point, regardless of how good or cruel we were. We all die. That’s why I don’t think death is a punishment. In fact, I feel that it is an easy way out for someone who didn’t account for their crimes in this life. Death does not undo the abuse, it does not deliver justice to the survivor.

The Survivor Faces New Complexities

It might actually raise further complexities in the survivor’s life. Now she has to live with the burden of caring for a child she was not ready for or chose to have, while she is still a child herself. She has to face the reality of how much her life has changed and know that she will never fully be herself again. Through all that, she has to accept an apology she deserved but never got. While the perpetrator got the easy way out, one every human will inevitably face- death.

The Emotional Weight of Explaining Trauma

I can imagine her anguish, knowing that one day she will have to explain to her child how he/she came about. How their father was a monster who took away her innocence. If such a mother fails to bond with her baby, will she be wrong? Can she be judged for how she processes such trauma? Or how she tries to heal herself? Will she ever fully heal or every time she sees her child will be a reminder of the injustice inflicted upon her body by someone she did not give permission to.

The Survivor’s Struggle Reflects Society

Her struggle is not hers alone. It is a reflection of what happens when a society fails to protect survivors. When predators walk the face of the earth, thinking they have power over another’s body. When hearts are so filled with cruelty that they have no remorse for inflicting pain on a child. The infuriating thought that someone will look at a vulnerable child and choose to violate them. Cruelty of the highest order!

Small Relief Amid Pain

Maybe, just maybe, she sleeps better now, knowing that she will never see her perpetrator again. He can no longer torment her. Perhaps, that brings a small measure of relief to her, even though justice was never served.

Endurance in the Face of Injustice

In the end, justice may have been denied and pain may linger, but her life continues. She carries the weight of what was stolen, yet also the quiet strength to reclaim her story, nurture her child and survive. While the perpetrator escaped accountability, she endures and in that endurance lies a courage that no cruelty, no injustice and no death can ever take away. I hope she navigates this new reality with some resilience and a stubborn fire to never give up.