Members of WMACA Kidz Clinics attended court proceedings this morning at the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court to monitor the case where seven young men and boys are accused of gang raping a Soweto teenager. The seven who include two minors matched the descriptions in a video recording of the attack and were arrested in Dobsonville on Tuesday. As there are two minors involved we were not able to attend proceedings inside the cour. Both the adult and the minors’ cases were heard today and are remanded for the 25 April. The cases will be heard in the same court – the minors will be heard in camera and the adults in open court. We are pleased that Ms Carina Coetzee is the Prosecutor assigned to this serious case.
The young victim went missing three weeks ago and was found in Braamfischerville on Wednesday in the eighth suspect’s house. This suspect and the victim’s mother will appear tomorrow in court for the State to gather evidence to prosecute.
The video of the rape of the 17-year-old girl went “viral” on the internet on Wednesday and was one of the main topics trending on the social networking site Twitter. ‘The suspects will also be charged with manufacturing, possession and distribution of child pornography according to the Films and Publication Act’.
This despicable incident is not an isolated one off incident – tragically it continues in our society at an alarming rate and equally disturbing is how many rapes are being recorded and go viral on the internet and on cell phone networks. What can one say about people who watch rape as a form of entertainment and sexual arousal?.
More importantly the victim who has being described as having a mental capacity of a 5-year-old and therefore even more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation has been exposed and identified in the most extreme humiliating and violent way for the world to watch. Once something is downloaded via the internet it is impossible to delete it permanently.
The public must condemn this brutality and we as a society have to find solutions to combat these heinous crimes that have not decreased despite all extra efforts made since the late 90’s to date. Why have we not being able to change South Africans’ attitudes toward rape and women.
Minister Xingwana has announced the formation of a new National Council Against Gender Violence. WMACA hopes that this Council is going to make a difference in ensuring our education, health and justice systems are able to work together in eradicating violent crimes in our country.
