Thread by @GbengaWemimo

Something happened a few minutes ago that is very puzzling
I went to see a family friend
The family friend is a pastor with three boys aged 9,7 and 5
The pastor's next-door neighbour was going out
He came to greet the pastor and asked if his children can stay with the pastor's

family for some time while he ran an errand
The pastor invited his wife to the sitting room
The man repeated his request
The pastor's wife said "Okay"
Three girls trooped in, aged 9, 6 and 3
All the children started watching TV
I and the Pastor moved to the dining area
The house

was a 3 bedroom flat
After a few minutes, the six-year-old girl came to meet us at the dining and said "Sir, XYZ (the pastor's 6-year-old son) is touching my sister's private part
The pastor jumped up and ran to the children's room, a few seconds later he emerged with his son

and the 9-year-old girl
He asked the 9-year-old girl what happened
She said "I wanted to ease myself, so I went to the bathroom and XYZ came to open the door"
The pastor said, "Where did he touch you?"
The girl said "He didn't touch me, I told him he cannot come to the bathroom

with me because i am a girl and he left
I closed the door and came out on my own, that was when you came to call us sir"
The pastor said okay
He said all the children should move to the sitting room where he can see them
After a few minutes, his wife emerged from her room
The

pastor reported what happened to his wife
His wife said "M'ogbe, M'ogbe, M'ogbe, (I am in trouble) This is what they will start saying about my boys o"
She called the XYZ in that tone African mothers use
The boy answered
She said "Follow me"
The boy started crying as if he was

going to die
The Pastor told his wife to take it easy and narrated what the 9-year-old girl who was supposed to have been touched said
The Pastor's wife said "Have you ever seen where a boy is believed over a girl?"
She turned to her son and barked like thunder "I say Follow me"

The boy began to shake and shiver
The six-year-old girl said "He didn't touch her"
The pastor said "What?"
The six-year-old girl said "He didn't actually touch her, we were playing tag and he wanted to hide, that was when he opened the door to the bathroom. I came to call you

because boys are not meant to open the door when girls are peeing."
The pastor said, "But you said he touched your sister?"
"No, he didn't!" She replied
The pastor's wife called the 9-year-old girl and asked her what happened
The 9 year old said "I have already said it
I wanted

to pee and he opened the door
I told him he is a boy and boys cannot be with a girl while she was peeing
"Were you guys playing tag? The pastor's wife asked her
She said "Yes, we were playing tag before I went to the bathroom to pee"
I turned to the boy and said "What happened?"

The boy said "We were playing tag and she went to hide in the bathroom, so I chased her there"
(He was not aware that she was peeing, he thought they were still playing tag and the 9-year-old was hiding in the bathroom)
The pastor's wife told the 9-year-old girl to explain what

happened to his sister very clearly in front of everybody
She said she didn't want her to tell her parents that the boy touched her older sister inappropriately because once it is said, no amount of PR can change it.
She said she didn't want her son to be marked for life.
The

pastor's wife said she wouldn't have allowed the girls to stay with them if their father spoke with her directly
She said she is a teacher and she knows that male children are an endangered species
"Only one accusation from any girl can bring them down at any time! I don't want

drama in my life"
That was her words
It broke my heart as a parent
I have sons and daughters
I do not want any gender feeling endangered
Boys are not evil
Girls are not evil
Labeling a gender is not helpful in any way
We all need to do better

@threadreaderapp compile