Posted on 07/30/2002 8:22:32 AM PDT by Sweet_Sunflower29
J O H A N N E S B U R G, July 30 — A week-old baby girl has been raped in South Africa, police said today, making her the youngest victim in a spate of child rapes fueled by the myth that sex with a virgin cures AIDS.
Superintendent Lawrence Zondi told Reuters by telephone that police were investigating Sunday's attack at Kwaminya in KwaZulu-Natal province. "A week-old child has been raped by an unknown person. She is seriously injured but her condition is stable," he said.
On Friday, a South African man was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a nine-month-old baby in an attack that outraged a country known for high levels of violent crime.
Passing sentence on 23-year-old David Potse, Judge Hennie Lacock said the rape of the baby — identified only by the nickname Tshepang, meaning "Have Hope" — was the most gruesome example of a human rights violation that he had come across.
Lacock said he would have imposed the death penalty without hesitation had South Africa not abolished capital punishment.
Tshepang survived October's attack but had reconstructive surgery to repair her genitals and internal organs.
Horrendous Myth
Some 21,000 cases of child rape were reported to South African police last year. Experts say some of the culprits are infected with the HIV/AIDS virus and believe — as elsewhere in Africa — that sex with a young virgin will cure them.
Today, Superintendent Zondi said the baby's mother, whom he did not name, saw blood on the child's diaper when she changed it on Sunday evening and found bruises on her genitals.
"I am speechless and horrified," said Kelly Hatfield, who heads a group opposing violence against women in South Africa.
"Rape is about power and control but how much more powerful can you be over something so little and vulnerable? It shows lack of self-esteem, depression, depravity and perversion," she told Reuters.
Lack of self esteem and depression?! OMG! The latter descriptions would have sufficed (depravity and perversion) with the addition of EVIL!
Now if we would only give them more money, the baby-rapists could afford condoms.
Amen!!!!!!!!!!
The first two could have been prevented by more sensitive public-school teachers (and more American money), and the last two seem to me to be awfully judgemental on her part.
Whitey’s been driven out and Africa slides back into it’s glorious past of war, rape, murder, disease, famine, poverty, perversion, slavery, cannibalism, and torture. A true socialist utopia…
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
Lady, you're a moron - the ONLY thing this shows is how truly evil some people can be.
Lacock said he would have imposed the death penalty without hesitation had South Africa not abolished capital punishment.
Make a freaking exception, just this once.
That's one rape per 2,000 people and one rapist per 2,000 people. That is unfreaking real!
On a side note- Africa is lost. It all hinged on Zimbabwe. We saw the ineffectual response of the west to Zimbabwe. With South Africa, we now know it will be no different. These horror stories enrage us? But we don't want to commit money or troops to solve the problem- fair enough- I don't either. But if we don't get mad enough to put up or shut up, we shouldn't get that worked up about the savagery. Watching Africa implode will be instructive, if nothing else. I don't see what our money or our troops could do to make a long term difference unless we are really committed to myth destroying as well as destroying the tyrants. People like Bono- they make the situation worse. Until we are ready to say- "Africa needs Colonization", we aren't going to accomplish anything.
If you haven't been to South Africa, go now before it's too late- it's a beautiful place.
Good Lord in heaven...
Judge not.
Let he who is without sin...
Everybody does it.
You conservatives are just hung up about sex.
It's America's fault for not sending more money.
Africa is what Africans have made it. Baby-raping starving sh*thole.
So true!
Civilized people cannot fathom the evil in some.
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