心痛 Heartache

心痛 Heartache

8th May 2017 1 By livinguktaiwan

今天我想跟大家探討一個比較嚴肅的話題。首先我想講兩個故事,一個是關於台灣一位年青少女,另一個是關於英國一位老伯伯。他們兩位都已經不在人世。Today I’m going to talk about something that is more serious than usual. But, first of all, I’m going to talk about two stories, one about a young lady in Taiwan, and another about an old man in UK. Both of them are no longer with us.

台灣 Taiwan
林奕含是一位年青美貌,,充滿才華的人氣作家。她在2009年大學學科能力測驗中獲得滿級分, 之後進入臺大醫學系 。可惜因為她患有憂鬱症,只讀了兩個星期就休學。在2012年她再度回到大學修讀中文系,但她的憂鬱症始終沒有好轉,最後到大三再度被迫休學。Lin Yi-han was a promising author, talented, young and beautiful. In 2009 she scored the perfect 75 points at the university entrance exams and later went to study medicine at university. However, she dropped out just after two weeks due to depression. In 2012 she went back to university again to study Chinese. Unfortunately, her mental illness hadn’t improved and she had to drop out again in year 3.

在今年2月,林奕含出版她第一本長篇小說,故事講述一位初中女生被老師誘姦。小說一出馬上大受歡迎,在銷售排行榜長佔高位。不到兩個月後,在4月底林奕含被發現在家中自殺身亡。她父母發表聲名,稱小說中的女主角其實是林奕含的親身遭遇。多年前他被補習老師誘姦,導致她患有憂鬱症,最後更走上了不歸路。林父母除指名道姓那個補習老師,更稱還有另外三位女生跟林奕含一樣遭遇不幸。事件在台灣當然引起極大迴響,很多人要求把補習老師繩之於法。In February this year, she published her first novel about a teenage girl raped by her teacher. It was an instant best seller. Two months later, at the end of April, Lin committed suicide at home. Her parents revealed that the teenage girl in her novel was actually her own true story. That she had been groomed and raped by her cram school (private tutorial school) tutor years ago. The trauma led to her mental illness, and finally her taking her own life. Her parents also named the teacher responsible and said that three more girls had suffered the same fate as Lin. As expected the incident caused a massive uproar in Taiwan with many condemning the teacher, demanding to bring him to justice.

英國 UK
Top of the Pops 是英國BBC在1964年至2005年製作的流行曲排行榜節目。在未有互聯網的時代,這個節目是當時英國年青人每星期必看的。節目由著名主持人薩維爾主持。外型別樹一格的他,愛穿運動套裝,長髮披肩,帶著金光閃閃首飾,手上還經常拿著一根大雪茄。除了當主持,他不時在多間醫院及學校當志願工作。有估計在他的演藝生涯中,他一共為多個慈善機構籌款超過四千萬英鎊。公眾對他很愛載,他在1990年更被封為爵士。薩維爾在2011年,85歲生辰前的兩天在家中病逝。
Top of the Pops was a popular British music chart programme made by the BBC between 1964 to 2005. In the days before internet, every week teenagers would tune into BBC to watch the chart countdown. The show was presented by Jimmy Saville. He was a popular yet eccentric presenter, with his shoulder length wavy hair, he liked to wear track suits and flashy gold jewellery, and was often seen holding a cigar. Throughout his career, Saville did a lot of charity work for schools and hospitals, and it is estimated he raised over £40m for charity during his time. The public loved and trusted him, and he was knighted as Sir in 1990. Two days before his 85th birthday in 2011, Saville died at home from natural causes.

他離世一年後,電視台播出他的紀錄片,揭發他生前其實是一位施虐者及性罪犯。節目中有多位女性指控薩維爾在六七十年代對她們作出性侵犯,甚至被他強姦。節目播出後的兩個星期,有超過二百位市民向警方提出針對薩維爾的性侵犯指控,大多都發生在過去三四十年。而報案數字不斷地增加。大部份受害人都是當年的年青少女或弱勢社群如病人,殘障人士,孤兒小孩,甚至精神病患者。A year after his death, a TV documentary exposed Saville as an abuser and sex offender. Women, many who were teenage girls back in the sixties and seventies, claimed they had been molested or raped by him. In the following two weeks, 200 alleged victims contacted the police about similar incidences by Saville, most dating back the past three or four decades. The numbers continued to snowball. Nearly most of the victims were girls or vulnerable people such as patients, the disabled, orphans, young children and mentally ill patients.

BBC展開全面調查,發現薩維爾在BBC工作多年,總共性侵犯了至少72人,強姦了8人,而最年青的被姦者才10歲。英國衛生署也展開調查,發現有140個事件在醫院或不同醫療機構裏發生。最年幼的受害人只有5歲,其他受害人還包括孕婦及一位癱瘓坐輪椅的女士。The BBC launched an inquiry into the allegations, and found that “At least 72 people were sexually abused by Saville in connection with his work at the BBC, including eight victims who were raped. There was also one attempted rape. The youngest rape victim was 10 years old“. The NHS conducted a separate investigation into allegations that happened in hospitals and other medical institutions. They discovered over 140 incidences, including victims as young as 5, a pregnant mother and a paralysed woman in a wheelchair.

在醜聞中,有些受害人稱事發當時有向老師,醫護人員,甚至警察提及事件,但一直也沒有人跟進。那個年代薩維爾很有名,有地位,也有權力,是英國其中一位最受歡迎的藝人,一般人當然不會相信他會作出如此猥瑣行動。就算聽到所謂謠言,都不會懷疑他的清白。當年很多人對性侵犯定義不太理解,認為受害人都有錯。就正如那些受害人被指為貪慕虛榮,妄想引人注意的少女,年少無知的小朋友,甚至乎是腦筋有問題的精神病患者。封閉愚昧的思想就這樣摧毀很多人的一生。Some of the victims said they had reported the abuse to teachers, nurses or even to the police at the time, but no action was taken. Saville was famous, flamboyant, powerful and one of Britain’s biggest star, of course people didn’t believe he would do such a thing. Those who had heard rumours didn’t doubt his innocence at all. The victims on the other hand were seen as vain and attention seeking teenage girls, young children who didn’t know what they were talking about, and disillusioned mentally ill patients. Prejudice and ignorance back in those days destroyed the precious lives of countless victims.

台灣 Taiwan
那台灣又怎樣看性侵犯呢?社會是否對女孩被誘姦的認知同看法還很糢糊,令林奕含感到外間的勢利目光?她似乎覺得自己也要負上責任,同時又孤立無援,導致她憂鬱症?林父母當年知道這件事嗎?他們有正面處理事件,給予她適當的支持及開解,為她討回公道嗎?如果這個社會早已正視類似事件,我今天還會寫這個話提嗎? So how does Taiwan view sexual abuse cases? Is society still ambiguous over what constitute sexual abuse, to the extent that Lin felt the despise and sneer shadowing over her? Did she feel she was to blame for what happened and had to bottle it up, leading to her mental illness? Were her parents aware of her trauma, did they try to fight her corner for justice, guide and support her to alleviate her suffering? If society was less prejudice towards sexual abuse victims, perhaps I would be writing a different topic today?

直到目前為止,我看到很多報導,聲明,輿論及推測。唯獨未有看到真相。究竟補習老師是否誘姦女學生?他是傳說中的狼師嗎?他唯一的回應就是,“算了啦!人都死了,我們再多說什麼呢?再講什麼人家也不會信呀!”。他這樣說究竟是在悔恨,逃避還是反駁呢?多年來林奕含的壓力及包袱是否不斷地加重,而令到她長期憂鬱症,到最後要用她覺得唯一可行的方法去脫離困境?父母向外發表事件是否她的遺願?是如他們所說想阻止再有其他類別事件發生?還是痛失女兒,要通過這個過程減少傷痛?So far, I’ve read a lot of news reports, announcements, opinions and speculation on this issue. What seems lacking is the truth. Is the tutor really a predator and rapist? His only response so far is, ” She’s passed away already, what more should we say. Nobody is going to believe us anyway!” Is this a sign of remorse, refute or evasion? Did Lin’s mental illness worsen over the years as the pressure and baggage grew, till she finally took what she saw as the only way out to end everything? Were her parents’ revelations her dying wishes? Or as they claim, they want to avoid further similar incidences from happening? Or is this an avenue for them to lessen the pain of losing their beloved daughter?

跟絕大部份人一樣,我不認識事件中的相關人士,所以不想多加評論及猜測。唯一想說,是無論此事的真相如何,我們都不應容忍性侵事件發生在任何人身上。若真的發生,我們絕不能視而不見,旁觀者更不可對受害人妄加評論落井下石。Like most people, I don’t personally know the people involved in this matter, so it would be inappropriate to add my comments or make any speculation. I only want to say that regardless of what the truth is, we should never tolerate sexual abuse happening to anyone. If we become aware of it, we should never sweep it under the carpet, or worse still add insult to injury.

via Daily Prompt: Exposed
Exposed