Torn hymens, torn hearts.

I remember reading an article in Reader's Digest a few years ago which I will never forget because of how it opened my eyes to the reality of the world of the innocent which is now tainted with lewdness and perversion.

It was about child prostitution in Cambodia.

I still remember it was the February edition so obviously the main highlight would be about Valentine's Day, and of course the topic of love. It was in a way, ironic, that the subject of love and the celebration of love was juxtaposed against the story of lust and its ugliness. So there I was reading Reader's Digest's usual take on love, men and women and their relationship with one another till I flipped to the page of that article.

I read with horror and disgust at the plight of those young children, as young as three or maybe even younger, sold off to the brothel by their own parents, siblings, uncles and aunties - their own flesh and blood. Some of the teenage prostitutes even gave birth to their babies in the brothels so their babies grew up there, without a chance to know and touch the world that we live in; all they knew was the bleak and seemingly hopeless life on the streets. The article was written by this man who disguised himself as one of those paedophiles looking for cheap thrills in the slums of Cambodia, accompanied by a local who is part of the anti-child prostitution organisation to be his translator. His purpose was to see for himself the state of the street children who are forced into prositution and write about it.

There were two girls brought to them, eight and six years old. The writer mentioned that the girls looked rather shy and perhaps, scared. I remembered reading that one of the girls awkwardly tried to flirt with the writer and his friend, telling them the 'services' that she and her friend could offer... Heart-wrenching indeed. She was only six years old, for goodness' sake!
I really can't remember much of the details in that article but it was enough to provoke me to tears. It's a sad and dangerous world out there for these street children, betrayed and used by people around them, even their closest kin.

Read the article that I'm talking about here.

It's good to know that there are people out there who are doing something to rescue those children who were robbed of their innocence and thrown into the pit of degradation and shame. They deserve to live a carefree childhood, protected by their loved ones and to grow up with dignity. I wish I could do something too.. Torn hymens, torn hearts.