Violent rape of a 7-year-old spurs South African women to demand harsher penalties for sex crimes

The rate of sexual violence in South Africa is among the highest in the world and now latest violent attack on a 7-year-old has activists enraged.

Kia Morgan-Smith

Oct 1, 2018

The rate of sexual violence in South Africa is among the highest in the world and now the latest case of a violent rape attack against a 7-year-old girl in the bathroom of a popular restaurant has enraged South Africans even more.

The Independent reports that a young girl was yanked from a woman’s bathroom and pulled into the men’s restroom where she was raped by a 20-year-old man, according to police. The mother of the girl went looking for her after she heard voices. The mother reportedly told customers and the man was found and arrested at the scene on Saturday.

The man was charged with rape and drug possession.

The latest case has South Africans calling for heavier penalties against predators in a country where the sexual violence rate is at an all time high. The national statistic service of South Africa reports that 138 out of every 100,000 women in the country were raped in 2016 and 2017.

“This figure is among the highest in the world. For this reason, some have labelled South Africa the ‘rape capital of the world,’” it said.

“The justice system in South Africa is too lenient towards inhuman crimes. Rape, trafficking, child abuse, and murders should be taken with greater punishment,” Twitter user Evelyn Lobelo wrote.

Unspeakable Violence

“You can get raped anywhere in South Africa. Hospital, work, in your own home, in a taxi/Uber/Taxify, school etc etc etc… You just hope and pray it doesn’t happen to you. Women fear for their lives every day in SA. Because even the men we trust can’t act right,”Tandolwethu Zizipho Dingana tweeted.

It was also reported last week that a woman who had recently given birth, was raped by a doctor after seeking medical care for heavy bleeding.

“On Tuesday‚ a man came posing as a doctor. He asked her how she was doing following the birthing experience,” police spokesman Captain Dineo Koena said.

“She complained of heavy bleeding and he said he would check up on her. He then ordered her to undress and then he raped her.”

“South Africa is no country for children,” said popular radio talk show host Eusebius McKaiser.