Statistics vary and sadly many cases are not reported but most agree that South Africa is the rape capital of the world. Police crime statistics released in September 2012 state that in 2011/2012 there were a total of 9 193 sexual offences reported to the South African Police Services (SAPS) in the Western Cape, almost 27 cases per day.
One Medical Research Council study among men from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal showed a devastatingly casual familiarity with rape – more than 25% of the men questioned admitted to raping someone. A poll in 1999 among 1500 schoolboys in Soweto showed most thought "jackrolling", or gang rape, was "fun".
I am no expert but when we have a 13 year old in school being raped, stabbed and left for dead we know we have a problem that is bigger than we think. We know we have entered questioning times when we have victims like Anene Booysen whose tragedies are sensationalised by political parties but forgotten by communities.
With less than 10 percent of cases resulting in conviction the victims are being made to feel like perpetrators because of the length of the skirts they wear, the pictures they might have taken or the party they attended.
Enough is enough, the time has come for us to start giving a voice to the voiceless victims in this country!
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