- Conference
- 2011 National Black Members' Conference
- Date
- 24 August 2010
- Decision
- Carried
Conference is concerned about the plight of the South African girls highlighted in Channel 4’s Dispatches titled “The Lost Girls of South Africa”. The programme followed four girls aged 11 and 13 struggling to come to terms with their rape and the social stigma attached to it. From the comments posted on the Channel 4 website it is not surprising that many viewers were horrified and moved by the programme which reported shocking facts and figures relating to child rape in South Africa. According to the South Africa Government statistics, there are 60 cases of child rape reported every day in South Africa. However the National Youth Victimisation Study of 2005 found that only 11.3% of rapes are reported to the South African Police Service. Although authorities such as the National Institute of Crime Rehabilitation (NICR) contest this and argues that the figure is closer to one in 20. Therefore if 60 child rapes are reported and this represents 11.3% of all rapes then the NICR confirm that 530 child rapes take place every day. Amounting to one child rape every three minutes. Unfortunately nine out of 10 cases of child rape are never reported, mainly due to fear of reprisal. Also in many instances the police will arrest the perpetrators then release them back into the community, consequently prosecution rarely happens and those that are brought to justice tend to receive a light sentence that inevitably result in the perpetrator having learnt no lessons and unfortunately end up re-offending.
In addition a Medical Research Council survey in 2009 found that in South Africa one in four men confirm they have raped at least once, with half of those admitting to multiple attacks. Around 40% of rape victims in South Africa are children. It is claimed that a girl born in South Africa has around a one in three chance of completing secondary school, but has a one in two chance of being raped. Disturbingly, children as young as 9 years of age can become rapist. Also some fathers have been reported for molesting their own children.
Conference recognises that statistical evidence relating to child rape can be somewhat confusing, nevertheless the harsh reality is that all the statistics convey the same message and that is an alarming number of child rape occurs in South Africa on a daily basis. But most disturbing of all is a survey conducted on over 250,000 school children where 62% of South African school boys believe that forcing sex on someone is not an act of violence, and one third of male learners believe girls enjoy rape.
Conference there is a number of international agencies that are providing valuable work to children, but are dependent on funding. However more work needs to be done to address this problem. Children have rights that must be protected and the raping of one child is more than enough to warrant action, therefore:-
Conference calls upon the National Black Members Committee (NBMC) to:-
1.To liaise with the National Executive Council and TUC to raise awareness of rape crimes perpetuated against some children of South Africa.
2.Work with the International Committee, Action Aid, Childline (South Africa) and relevant organisations to campaign for change which protects the human rights of children and examining strategies, including educating children in schools about the evils of rape.
3.Provide support to Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (RAPCAN). This project has had 20 years experience in promoting children’s rights through legislation and provides a platform for young people to influence legislation in South Africa.