Written by: Akshika Jangid
News flashes, “25-year-old man barges into 13-year-old girl’s home, tries to kill himself after she refuses marriage proposal” While the other report read: “Jaipur Man Arrested For Raping Two Daughters For 5 Years: Cops.” Such stories are no longer rare exceptions but recurring reminders of a deeply unsettling reality—our children are not safe, not even in their own homes. While girls continue to bear the brunt of sexual abuse and assault, young boys too are not spared, facing humiliation, bullying, and physical torture, as seen in a case from Delhi where a nine-year-old was slapped and humiliated by three adults.
The above recent headlines paint a chilling picture of the dangers faced by children in India. Reports from across the nation reveal an alarming rise in cases of child sexual assault and serial harassment, with victims ranging in age from infants to children as young as three to nine years old. Each news story leaves us not only outraged but also questioning the humanity of those who commit such crimes. This poem is my first attempt to echo the cries of those silenced too soon, to give words to the pain that so many innocent souls endure.
An Eight year old child lays in fright,
Cowering, trembling at night
Tears stream down her tender face
Haunted by the cruel and the hateful place
Those bloody men she feared the most
Hated by all of us — from coast to coast
how callous somebody can truly be
To treat a young girl so cruelly?
As she didn’t deserve such wretched fate
A pain so deep and heart of pure hate
she was the one who was the sufferer,
Yet still the society continued to blame her
Coming closer and closer to where she hides in fear
Frightened and afraid to shed another tear
She squeezes in closer, against the wall
Silent she lies, hoping she wouldn’t be found at all.
She being an innocent little girl was unaware,
Of horrors waiting in despair.
But who knows her death would come
Only because of those mediocre ones
She hates this unholy “game” that he makes her play
As helpless as she lay
And she had to endure this constant torture and pain none should see.
She wobbly begged him – “to leave me be”,
She really wished she could call for help
But all she was left in welp
An evil sound that makes her cringe and cower more
His voice, his touch, his hands, all chill her to the core
She wonders in her childish mind, why this must occur
But he throws her down relentlessly, making her vision blur.
Morosely, this young girl left her beautiful little world behind,
Such cruel acts no soul should find.
If this is what she got which she surely didn’t be worthy of
Then may he face misery his entire life and never get the piece of love.
So, here we are, killing an innocent being,
blinding their hearts with sights unworthy of seeing,
Cutting off their wings before they learn to fly,
And crushing their voices till they can only cry.
If only I had the power to change this story,
Transform the vile into glory.
If they won’t change their wicked ways,
Then all the brave women out there, will rise to end their days,
to show them: What womanhood really is.
A strength they mocked, yet dared to miss—
The power, the fire of women’s bliss.
And when she would laugh without fear
Those wrongdoers will shed a tear.
Regretting acts they can’t deny,
For the brave girl’s spirit will fly high.
As much as this poem grieves over the horror of such acts, it is also a plea for transformation. No child should ever have their innocence stolen or their life cut short by cruelty. Change cannot rest only on laws or systems—it must thrive within each of us, in the way we raise our sons, stand up for daughters, and refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. Until humanity chooses compassion over cruelty, the scars of these young victims will haunt our collective conscience. 
But with courage, unity, and respect for womanhood, there comes hope—that future generations of girls will laugh without fear, and society will no longer have to mourn what could have been.
The title ‘Unashamed’ carries a dual purpose. It is a reminder that no victim of abuse should ever be burdened with shame for the crimes committed against them, and also a declaration of strength—that women and children, despite being silenced and oppressed, will rise with unbroken spirit. By naming this poem Unashamed, I seek to reclaim dignity for survivors and reject the culture of blame that society often imposes on them.
