I REFER to the report “Enraged by rape of four-year-old girl “ (The Star, July 4; online at bit.ly/star_rage). It is profoundly sad to read about this latest case of sexual abuse involving a primary school- boy who did not fathom the implication of his act on the poor girl. This is the cost of accessing the Internet without parental control that led him to pornographic sites.

We are enraged. Netizens are outraged. The nation is shocked. But the inconvenient truth is that we as parents, as a community and nation have failed to protect children while letting them grow to realise their full potential. We fail to create a safe and conducive environment that facilitates the socialisation of children in a way that will impart knowledge and values that mould children, developing their character and forming their moral as well as behavioral attitudes.