That a child has to endure such pain is simply unthinkable. That we could have done something about it and didn't, is beyond comprehension.

Whilst I am immensely appreciative of the work that the AFM and others do to safeguard and rescue people, this time round we have let this girl down.

Unless this Country carries out a profound examination of its conscience, we are bound to become desensitised to the needs of people – and that will be the biggest tragedy to befall us.

The moment that we fail our children is an indication that there is something intrinsically wrong in our communities. I am deeply concerned that we have lost our sense of humanity and the realisation that what characterised this country, that is, a place which is welcoming and compassionate, is being lost - and quickly indeed.

The death of Loujin in such a dramatic way is not new. What happened to Loujin is déjà vu of the images that stick in our mind of Aylan (almost 7 years to the day - 2 September 2015) - that terrible image of the washed-up lifeless body of this little boy.

If this is not enough, the increasingly strong racist voices seem to multiply and are swallowing up all that is good in our communities - not helped by a political climate that too often seems indifferent, silent and unresponsive. The academic community, NGOs, policy makers, politicians and all of us need to stand up to this aggression against our conscience.

I appeal to the government and the opposition to stop sitting on the fence as lives continue to be lost. No political tug-of -war or calculation of votes and popularity indexes can erase the duty of all persons, most especially those in authority, to save lives, even if this requires major backtracking in previous decisions taken and current policy.