There was an extremely disturbing report in the news late last week. A 7 year old girl was sexually assaulted by a man between the age of 16 and 22 in a Torquay caravan park. The girl was inside a caravan annex, sleeping beside her two brothers, when the assault occurred.
I was sickened by the news to put it mildly. It really makes me wonder whats going on in society when a family cant go camping without something like this happening.
When we were kids we camped every year over the summer holidays. We were given a lot of freedom to go to the beach, walk to activities and hang out with other kids in the caravan park. Twenty years doesnt seem that long ago, but have things changed so much that I wont be able to allow my children the same opportunities I enjoyed?
Or worse, are our children not even safe in their beds at night? Im still shocked by this news. My hubby and I love to go camping but could I sleep at ease with my daughter after hearing this report? We camped at Torquay when my daughter was only a baby. It was most likely at the very same caravan park where this assault occurred.
Are things getting to the point where we cant allow our children the opportunity to explore their environment, to enjoy riding their bikes, to walk to the local park? Already my own mother notices the changes from her childhood to mine. There was no question about being able to walk to school alone, go to the nearby milk bar and play with other kids in the neighbourhood. Doors were left unlocked. People could be trusted. It is so sad that our children are made more fragile, more enclosed, in todays world.