Rape stats reality

Rape in SA does not get enough attention. Only when it happens to someone famous or when it happens to someone close to you people get upset. We need heavier jail sentences for rapist. Maybe we should castrate them. They ruin their victims life and maybe even give them AIDS and the rapist only go to jail for short while. Just to be back on the street to rape again. How will our president feel if his wife or daugter is raped? Will he then do something about it? You never hear of a group of white young guys that storms into a house and rape a black woman in front of her family. Why is it ALWAYS the other way around?

i sure agree.Rapist should be castrated as a matter of fact by so doing we'd be saving them from fighting temptations they obviously cant manage.Going to jail aint good enuf altho i do hope they get raped themselvesin these jails.The action of rape is just plainly inhuman and it should be treated thus!

Hi, Rape it cant be fixed why because police arrest rapist went to court then at court give them bail or they can arrest them maybe give a person 5 years at prison the you can hear says they relieved him throuhg parole which is wrong image of young girls being raped what is the furthure of the girl afterwards baour goverment is very poor guy you must do something with this.

For whatever reason, and I believe it has nothing to do with colour, women in this country are still being treated like second class citizens. Although I was never raped, I was molested as a child by a family member so I have some idea of the darkness involved as a victim. Rape is a crime of power and there is no excuse!!! All decent people should stand up and scream NO to the abuse and the violence.

I know 2 doctors at Temba Hospital in Mpumalanga who can tell you horrific stories of how woman and girls of all ages get raped, and how the cases are NEVER reported, and the only way the rape comes to light is when a 8 year old girl comes in to the hospital with an STD at an advanced stage. Or worse still, how a mother will bring her, 5, 8, and 12 year old daugters to the hospital because they were all raped in one evening by a relative.

As a man, I feel very ashamed, and sad that women have to go through this. Even if just 1 woman is raped or abused, it is 1 too many. Men who rape are sick cowards. It is obvious that women cant rely on government or police to protect them. I do believe it's time for both men and women to unite in this struggle. Apartheid may have been crushed but people in SA are not free....especially women, children and the aged. I think we must rely on our prayers and faith as it is really only GOD that can help us to eradicate this disease which we are starting to think is normal and OK.

My name is Benzy (Male) as stated above. I have a friend of mine (best friend) whom had once gone thru some difficulties. I'm so ashamed till this day, that I was not there for her when she needed me and couldn't even talk to her about the subject. It just killes me inside knowing of what had happened to her and I couldn't help her or at least talk to her about it. Well, somehow she managed to survive it and I feel so helpless that I did nothing to comfort her, instead I cry with her all the times when the subject is brought up. Can you help her with making sure that has she been real hilled??? Do it for me PLEASE??? (Do you take victim names???) Just be careful though, with possibly arising dead issues. Thanks I had to send this because I was touched by one of your comments above listed, that says girls, woman, ladies ... they just talk about issues that had happened to them in a normal conversation and they claim to have long passed the situation (trauma) which does not bother them anymore.

I do agree, its as normal as going out and shopping in this country. My brother & a friend of his has become the latest to the rape daily log of rape victims over this past weekend. They both in prison awaiting bail and now just finding out the shocking new. i have realised behond myself, my daughter and every living person in this country - that we all are in grave danger and theres nothing we can do. But be sheep lead to the slaughter!!

I got a woman working in my business that was raped. She was told by the policeman to shut up or be killed! He was the rapist and knew where she stayed!!!

4 as long as we hav a society tht believs that men cannot control their libidinous urges and there4 women should cover up; we will always hav this scourge. rape is about power, about telling women that u may be independent but we can still take that power away.was molested at 6, raped at 17 - very messed up but refusing to be cowed.and this is made harder by women themselves who believe that men should be "understood" and not hav to control themselves.

Something to ponder........ Most rapist,peadophiles have agendas with their mothers or sistas! A lot of angry men, were either molested or raped by older women they so respected! A lot of men are still molested or abused by either men or woman, but their cases become laughing stork. When the world would start to listen or teach young men to talk about their anger or frustrations, It wil be a beta world

hi, it makes me sick to my stomach to hear the word rape. There are some stupid people who still maintain that no one is raped without a reason. Some are making comments like" She deserved to be raped". Those people make me sick. I'm sure they want to experience it so that they know it happens without a reason. If ther's no one close to you that has been raped, then you are among the luck one and pray to god it stays that way. I'm also saying - rapists should be castrated so that they know that they are ruining people's lives.

the fact is a female child born in South Africa today has more chance of being raped in her lifetime than learning how to read or write. This is a crisis that affects every woman in South Africa, irrespecitive of race, culture, or socio-economic background. out of 7 of my closest girlfriends, 4 have been raped, of those four 3 have been victims of domestic violence, with one other and myself abused mentally,verbally and physically by a partner. All of these women come from middle-class to affluent background, they are all educated, all with a degree and so are all the men wo perpetrated these crimes against women. It is appalling how common it is.

"You never hear of a group of white young guys that storms into a house and rape a black woman in front of her family. Why is it ALWAYS the other way around?" Look at other countries and you will find a similar pattern. Many studies in the USA have shown that the incidence of black on white rape is significantly higher than white on black rape, despite whites far outnumbering blacks in the USA. I don't know why black males have a higher propensity to rape. Perhaps its cultural or genetic, or perhaps both?

As much as it is painful for me to admit that black men's raping rate is higher simply I am black, I have to admit it as a fact. I am however suprised that you only mentioned culture and or genetics as a reason for this and you conveniently forgot about slavery, kkk, apartheid as a contributing factor instead you went on to insult black culture which has got nothing to do with rape, as usual I always find racists comments very shallow and studip. Let us find a solution to rape and stop insulting each others culture and genetics as this will take us nowhere

I seems rape has become a norm in society. It also seems that society accepts it as part of every day life - tough luck if you are a woman. It is time politicians should put their money where their mouths are. "Women's Month" came and went and yet we as women are still fair game. In the mean time let us take our homes, streets, parks, wherever we are raped back!!

There is a lawlessness in SA, rape, murder, burglary are all being accepted. Main problem is that the right to protect oneself has been taken away by the constitution. Give victims THE RIGHT and forget about the RIGHTS of the criminals. Ek dink die feit dat selfs polisie mense aanraai om hulself nie te probeer verdedig of teen te sit nie, vererger die situasie in die land.

This is a sign of a sick society, sick political leaders and a sick moral inclination of the public in general. These rapists must be flogged in the town square by the family members of the person who was raped. The only way to stop this is to vote overwhelmingly against a government who allows this to happen to its citizens.

I am a South African Citizen, and due to the rape crime rate and others, I have left my country for a safer one! On a daily basis RSA loses millions of its own citizens due to the crime rate. RAPE!! in this case is the worst especially for woman... we do not feel safe anymore and there just seems to be no "support" or help from the government to stop it. Oh, there's rape victims shelters etc. But what about trying to STOP it, not cure it!! Once a rapist is caught, why he is released or "escapes" 6-9 months later??? A more serious penalty should be enflicted on these rapists or any other! Take KSA - its crime free and the people are safe, because the punishment suits the crime!!!

Only God can fix this and He WANTS to fix it, he wants to heal our land, but He's calling on us to repent, humble ourselves and seek His face. If we, an entire nation, would just rise up in faith in Jesus Christ and prayer and repentance, there's no telling what He can do here.

I speak as a man who is appalled by the notion of rape, and oft times ashamed of the way men comport themselves. My longterm partner was abused as a child, and 25 years later, was still very badly affected by that. She tried to "be normal" and get past it. But the damage is way too deep ... I seriously question women who claim that "it was no big deal". It IS a big deal - it's violation at the deepest level. The effects live on and damage lives downstream. I know.

South African society is becoming a society of brutal thugs, where take , take is the norm. Unitil such time the government actually grows up and actually behaves in the interest of the country , the rape stats will increase, Zuma's image certainly does nothing to make women feel secure. A rape victim is still treated as if they caused the person to rape the. Men are the thugs, they should be removed from society for ever, put in jail where they will be brutalised daily and then die a slow death.........if a young girl can be raped in a public swimming pool during the new year celebrations on a beach, in front of thousands of people, ( I was there, doing voluntary duty for the Life Guards, trying to control 20 000 people) it can happen anywhere......so sad that we have become a society of thugs and arrogance

Fact of the matter, without prejudice - the common black man believes sex is an entitlement and a liberty. Culturally women have no standing in their soceity and hence this collission of beliefs and morals.

This is about rape, not race. Rapists come in all shapes and sizes, all colours and creeds. I did my law thesis on rape in South Africa, with a legal focus on the complainant's treatment and function during the trial. I found that there are many old laws that are still pervasive and the treatment of the complainant (i refuse to say 'victim') during the trial turns her into the accused. In some old cases they dug up complainants' sexual histories, as if this is at all appropriate. They did this in the Zuma trial, and it was a major part of why he was not found not guilty. They used HER sexual history, not his. The incidence of rape cannot remain as high as it is. It is definitely NOT 10%, but much much higher. That is why it is seen as almost the norm. In my research I also found that the emasculization of men in this country had something to do with it, but I also believe to a higher extent lack of personal responsibility, a sense of culpability in the society and a high degree of misogyny are to blame here

Are nothing more than Animals. Death penalty to rapists, as castration is not enough. But dont expect the government to act.

I think the criminals have far too many rites. prision should be a harsh place no three meals a day etc. harsher punishment, chopping the penis off for rape and the death penality for murder would definately make ppl think twice before they rape or pull that trigger. my 2c worth

Good to see reasoned argument and statement. It is NOT about race - but sadly, race always gets dragged into it.

I believe , Islamic laws be implemented strongly in this country , our crime rate will reduce by a huge number in a very short period. A few well broadcasted punishmnet fitting to the crime be displayed for the nation to witness. Example... for theft a hand to be taken. For rape, to be stoned to death in Central Joburg for all to witness. A few public displays of this nature would be warning for all . This will solve the problem.

Crime, including the serious crime of rape, has become endemic in our society. It is the norm rather that the exception. All women can justifiably feel threatened, even in boad daylight. No normal society can develop under these circumstances. Worse still are the incidences of unreported rape and other violent assaults against women and children. The solution is an overhauled criminal justice system where the perpetrators of these crimes are tracked down and prosecuted swiftly and effectively and then removed from society.

Why is it that Africa has never 'civilised'? Why with independance and 'freedom' there is so much less of exactly that for its womenfolk? Morally, Africa is regressing - not progressing. Why? This is the 21st century. Could it be that the kleptocrats ruling, with maybe the exception of one or two, are setting the example ... no moral compass, ethical behaviour is for the fools in the West? Although rape occurs all over the world, it is almost a rite of passage of so many African men. Where is the shame? Is shame possible? I despair at that Darkest of Dark continents.

I got robbed on Friday by 3 guys on gun point, all I could think of when this was happening was "God please do not let them harm me". Knowing the stats and reading on a daily basis of the women who have been raped and the Justice System failing them, I could not help myself but pray that it does not happen to me. When I went to report this incident to the Police they told me that I invited the robbers by walking at that time of the night ( which was just after 20h00 by the way). I can imagine what women who have been raped go through when having to report that they have been raped.

Bring back the death penalty, hold our leaders accountable, be hard on crime, allow community action groups, like PAGAD, to use force because the cops cant deal with it

I was raped in my own bed over twenty years ago. I was lucky as the investigating copy was sympathetic and understanding and I didn't contract AIDS or an STD. But it is something that you never ever forget and although I am not a nervous woman and will not let it curtail my movements, if I ever feel I am being followed in a dark or lonely place, that memory returns and I remember the terror...I thank God that it happened long ago, before society in SA descended to what it has now become.

I think the problem is that most men have no respect for us as women. And the police do discourage women who report rape cases. I was a victim too. It happened 12 years ago and I still cant just casually talk about it.

It sadens me to admit that rape does seem to be a norm in SA these days. I left SA 8 months ago and it took me a long time to "live safe". I don't even wake up at every noise i hear at night anymore. It is not fair for SA woman to live in such fear.... something must be done!

South Africa's leadres (President, minister of Justice, transport minister, law and order minister) have left us unprotected from crime. We should report them to the international court, as criminals against humanity and get them prosecuted and tried in the international court. Otherwise the road carnage and crime against us will never be handled. What gorvanment can be so ineefficient that crime continues and road deaths continue as if the country is at war? These leaders only collect statistics, and do nothing. We need to mobilise our selves and report them to a decent court. Speeking to them has failed.

I attach some info that I got off the Web today: "RAPE IN SOUTH AFRICA Rape is an occurrence which, according to official statistics occurred approximately 16,000 times annually during the 1980s. By 1992 the official figure for rape was 24,700.4 unofficially, based on the premise put forward by the National Institute of Crime Rehabilitation that only one in twenty rapes are reported, the figure is about 494,000 a year. This means that on average approximately one thousand three hundred women can be expected to be raped a day in South Africa. Even a government minister calls South Africa the rape capital of the world........ A study by Interpol, the international police agency, has revealed that South Africa leads the world in rapes. A woman was raped in South Africa every 17 seconds. This did not include the number of child rape victims. It was estimated that one in every two women would be raped. Of South African men who knew somebody who had been raped, 16 percent believed that the rape survivor had enjoyed the experience and had asked for it. According to a recent study police estimated that only one in 36 rape cases was reported and of those only 15 percent culminated in a conviction. "

This is typical sloppy journalism. The statistics you quote state that 10% of women have been victims of CRIME in the last year. That's every kind of crime. Burglary. Fraud. Pickpocketing, The headline refers RAPE STATS - which is nowhere mentioned in the article. Secondly, despite the article's slant that it is women who are the major victims of crime, there is no attempt at actual comparison between the sexes - do men suffer more, or less, than the 10%? The last time I looked, for example, the deaths from violent crime rates (murder and culpable homicide) were stacked about 8:1 against men. But who cares about that? Men don't have a lobby ...

When will people stop voting for a government that won't even allow justice to hold themselves accountable for it's acts? Stop voting for a government that emanates lawlessness and then I'll stop calling you a hypocrite.

criminals have more rights than victims. This has to stop. When a criminal commits a crime or intends to commit a crime, he should lose all his rights and society should reject him completely.

One girl asks how the president would feel if his daughter got raped. How about "NOTHING", the president of the ANC was accused acquitted and now heading to run SA. Good luck ladies, maybe you should all vote for Helen Zille next time...

It seems that our govn doesn't think rape in our country is a very big issue - hasn't the pres once mention that crime is coming down. Rape is such a heinous act - no1 can know what a victim goes through unless they have been thru that experience. It is something that can never be forgotten and takes a long time to recover from. U can't trust people, always unsure of yourself etc. I've never been a rape victim but have been molested and now still years afterward those incidents - i'm still not over it. Imagine how much worse it is when its a rape victim. And how can anyone justify raping a 2 yr old child no make that baby?!

I have been raped 3 weeks ago through a armed robbery at home. My house is no longer a safe place and it feels like a prison. We are too scared of opening a window! I have so many questions, but know that in time, things will be ok. Reading all the comments, does help. I know that there are people out there that does actually care. Thanks everyone!

Too many valse rape claims are being made. OOps, slept with boyfriends best friend!! - oh no - he raped me!!... Rape would be treated with more urgency is less women "abuse" the system... As a newspaper reporter it is horrifying to see how few "real rape" cases are reported and how many "false" ones are. Dont just blame the SAPD for not seeming to care - blame the "wolf cryers" aswell. and lest not forget the ladies who drink themself in a stupor, regains conciousness and finds a man ontop of them.... A man suggested to me just last night that the punishment a rapist would have gotten if convicted of rape should be applied to ladies (and children) who lay such false claims. That is the only way that rape will get the serious attention it deserves.

Wow you are so on point. Every woman in this country has a story of sexual harrassment or assault, and to some extent it has become just another aspect of life, which is quite sad. The fact is, there is nothin a women in this country can actively do to prevent herself from becoming another statistic, people are raped, sexually assualted or harrased every second of everyday, in their safest places and outside, by their 'loved ones', people the trust and strangers. As a women, you are as likely to get raped in a dark alley, as you are in the 'safety' of your own home. Its really just a matter of luck of draw and you hope you won't become one of the un;lucky ones, but sometimes you just think, sooner or later, its going to be your turn, because it seems to be really unpreventable.