Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children.”

America is considered the greatest country in the world, yet there is nothing great about its justice system when it comes to protection of children. So often we hear about child molesters getting ridiculously lenient sentences that it seems like it is becoming a norm.

According to Reno-Gazette Journal, just last month a Nevada District Judge, Brent Adams, sentenced a 69-year-old Isaac Onsurez, a convicted child molester, to one year in jail with five years of probation. Onsurez pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his relative, a six-year-old girl. He confessed to committing over 100 sex acts over the course of two years with this child. Adams originally sentenced Onsurez to ten years to life in prison, but then quickly reduced his sentence to one year in jail with five years of probation. I wonder if judge Adams would have been this merciful if it were his daughter.

The act of molestation of a minor is considered a category A felony in Nevada, which carries a minimum sentence of ten years in prison. As for the reason for this shocking change, the judge cited a clerical mistake. He said that he never intended to sentence Onsurez to life in prison. Naturally, the prosecutors were shocked and disappointed, as was the girl’s family.

Reading this horrific story about a convicted child molester getting off this easily, I am baffled that people in Nevada are not impeaching the judge. How is it possible that this judge got away with such an unbelievable decision? What kind of message does this case send to other child molesters? Well, based on this case, child molesters have a green light to go ahead and harm children without worrying about harsh punishments. But most importantly, what kind of light does this case cast on our society?

Children are the most vulnerable members of the society, but also the most precious because they represent our nation’s future. What kind of future can they expect if we do not protect them from harm?

I cannot think of anything more heinous than harming children, and therefore I am outraged over this judge’s decision. A convicted child molester should receive the harshest punishment possible—life in prison doing hard labor. There is no justification for any lighter sentence than that. Since a child molester ruins the child’s life in terms of stealing her innocence and desecrating her dignity, his life needs to be ruined as well. I believe compassion and forgiveness have no place here, not when it comes to harming children knowingly and intentionally as Onsurez did.

Child molestation is absolutely despicable, but it is even worse when committed by a relative. A child naturally trusts the relative who should love and protect her. But some, like Onsurez, see this as an opportunity to commit a monstrous act.

I wonder how much longer Americans will tolerate this kind of injustice toward children before they stand up. They need to get of rid of incompetent, lenient and indifferent judges who are either unwilling or fearful to punish wrongdoers. Families of children need to be sure that, although the trial is an ordeal, the final victory will be guaranteed. They need to know that our justice system sides with them and not with the criminals. I am a firm believer that the greatness of a nation can be judged based on its treatment of its children.

cbauert@mav.coloradomesa.edu