April
Heather Bacon reflects on thoughts arising from Meeting for Worship
Our Meeting today (7 October) prayed for April Jones, her family, friends and community. We also prayed for the person who abducted her, remembering that he, too, is a child of God.
I was led to reflect on the complex responses of any community where a child is lost, in particular when the child has been victimised and then murdered by an adult in whom they trusted. The phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ came to mind. The meaning of this has been amply demonstrated by the people of Machynlleth this week. There is, as yet, no sign of the anger towards the person who abducted April. There is simply an overwhelming need to find her. Yet, as the community comes to take in the reality of her fate, it would be only human to express incomprehension and anger at something that is so unspeakable, a source of dread, utterly beyond reason.
Any adult who hurts a child has surely lost touch with the child in themselves, for whom they might feel compassion, and compassion and healing of their own childhood hurt, and an acceptance of themselves that might prevent such a dreadful act. Finding compassion for an abuser means contemplating this.
It may help to reflect that any adult who is driven to take and abuse a child is locked into secrecy, which is reinforced by the vilifying reaction they expect from other people. Breaking that secrecy is the task of an investigation. An underlying connection is that if the child has to be mourned for they must, in some sense, be found. The heartrending fate of Keith Bennett, one of the victims of the Moors murders, was made much harder to deal with because his body was never found. Keeping the details of such crimes secret fuels the power of the abuser. And, yet, possibly the simple need to confess, to be unburdened, if given space and time, can lead to giving back the child, in some way, to those who most need to lay her to rest. The need may be to let in light, to allow the information to emerge, without judgement and without condemnation. So, we pray for all those involved in the investigation of any murder of a child, that they may be granted wisdom and compassion in their work.
