Alas, DNA evidence has put pen to paper with regards to the true identity of a young girl, brutally murdered by a sadistic pedophile still at large. An entire nation is no doubt enraged by such viciousness and driving most parents to paranoia.

The scramble for answers has begun. Can parents actually be vigilant round the clock? How can the society spot the danger before it arrives?

Not unlike the Cho shootings at Virginia Tech, many such cases tend to reveal startling warning signs, glaringly clear in retrospect. Perhaps a previous crime of passion or rape, or maybe a mind filled with sadistic delusions.

A sick mind is as real as a sick heart. Psychiatry, often viewed as the pariah of medicine, should be equally recognised and researched. In a nation where the paucity of psychiatrists and psychologists alike is evident, many sick minds go untreated, much to the peril of the defenseless.

Even in schools, educators must be taught the warning signs of psychiatric disturbances and thus refer for much needed professional help. Unfortunately, such competence is sorely lacking. What hope is there when deaths at national service camps are never taken seriously or thoroughly investigated.

Improving our skills in forensic medicine is paramount if we are to solve cases. Much is needed to beef up our current CSI teams.

Traditional or faith healers, to me, is a scheme of deceit. The latest drive by the government to approve traditional medicine where evidence is scarce, is disappointing and does not display the quality of a progressive nation. Outlawing such practices should not be delayed if we are to put to an end countless unscrupulous medical practices.

Catching the perpetrator of Nurin's death is only the beginning of a journey in our understanding of such heinous crimes. Let not her death be in vain.