If you were told that your hand would be cut off if you were caught stealing, you would be less likely to walk out of a store without paying for your items. Harsh laws and punishments act as a deterrent to those who would engage in criminal activities. This is why harsher laws should be enacted against people convicted of rape or sexual abuse.

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network’s website, every two minutes someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted, and of those, 73 percent are done by someone the victim knows. The scariest statistic, also reported on the RAINN website is 60 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.

The California Senate recently approved a bill in response to the gang rape of a 16 year-old Richmond girl. The amended bill states that a failure to report the rape of anyone under the age of 18 will result in a $1,500 fine and six months in jail. The previous law limited the punishment of unreported rape cases to anyone under the age of 14.

In situations such as these, especially in areas that are plagued with gang activity, failure to report such a crime stems from a fear of retaliation from those involved. Though the punishments may appear harsh to some people, they serve as incentives to witnesses to report such crimes or face the penalty. Without the presence of such laws, certain bystanders would ignore the occurrence.

By enforcing this bill, witnesses will not be held by their morals, but also by legal implications that are much harder to ignore.

This leaves one to wonder, is such a law too extreme for the accused or should it push its consequences further?

Failure to report rape has many negative consequences both to the victim and society at large. The rapist(s) will be allowed to continue as they were, without having to answer for their crimes. This may also lead to repeat offenses against multiple victims who are scared to break their silence. The victim and their family will be robbed of the opportunity to put closure on the situation, therefore intensifying the experience.

The answer is no. These laws are not effective enough and should expand the consequences attached to them.

In Saudi Arabia, when it comes time for the afternoon prayer, everybody rushes to the mosque to pray leaving his or her jewelry shops and merchandise stalls open. Yet, they do not have a high crime rate. Why? It might have to do with the consequences that we mentioned earlier, if you are convicted of stealing your hand will be cut off. It is harsh, but effective. The punishment is so extreme that it serves as discouragement for any who might feel acquiring a diamonds and gold they can’t afford.

Anonymous tip hotlines are offered to people who wish to remain anonymous, therefore eliminating possibility of being identified by the assailants. With certain rape occurrences, the witnesses may be family members or close friends of the perpetrators.

The punishment for withholding information about rape should be harsher, as should the punishment for those convicted of rape or sexual abuse. Rape or sexual abuse is a violation of individuals and of the pillars of civilized society. This is why those who have been convicted of sexual abuse or rape should be given a drug that makes them sterile.

Just like people in Saudi Arabia get their hand cut off for stealing, so they can no longer use it, people convicted of rape should be made impotent. Some might say that this extreme, and it violates the rights of the individual, but we disagree. When you can bring yourself to violate someone else, it falls on society to make sure that not only do you not do it again, but also that you are punished for it. “I’m really sorry, I won’t do it again,” is just not going to cut it this time.