ONE thousand brochures on rape facts were distributed during foot patrols on Friday 28 August, which formed part of the SAPS, Brighton Beach Women’s month operational activities.The brochure was researched and developed by Brighton Beach media officer Capt Louise Le Roux.
The purpose of the campaign was to create awareness around the sexual violation of women, men, teenage girls and boys, older persons and to combat rape myths.
According to Capt Louise Le Roux, the new South African law around rape came into effect in December 2007. This law is called the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Act. No 32 of 2007.Important features of the Sexual Offences Act is that all forms of sexual abuse or exploitation are crimes, both men and women are considered to be victims and perpetrators of rape, rape victims must get anti-retroviral drugs to prevent them being infected with HIV and rape victims may ask the court to test alleged rapist for HIV.
“All sexual crimes are included in one law. A number of new sexual crimes, particularly those effecting children and people with mental disabilities, have been created, and a National Register of Sex Offenders has been established. This prohibits people who have been convicted of sexual offences against children/or people with mental disabilities from working with either of these two groups,” she said.
Le Roux said it was imperative that people know what sexual acts forced upon them, constitutes the crime rape.
“Rape is an act of sexual penetration of a victim, without their consent. Rape occurs when someone inserts their genital organs into the mouth, anus or genital organs of a victim, any part of someone’s body, such as a finger, is inserted into the anus or genital organs of the victim and any object, is put into the anus or genital organs of the victims,” she said.
The brochure explains the characteristics of the various forms of rape such as anger rape, corrective rape, power rape, sadistic rape and drug facilitated sexual assault.
Other information provided in the literature distributed explains the myths and truths about rape.
