The 22-year-old woman who was allegedly raped in Ventersdorp for being lesbian says she now fears for her life.
She is opposing bail, claiming that she has received countless death threats and has been intimidated and bribed by the family and friends of the suspect in police custody.
“This man is dangerous and will harm my family and friends. There will be another victim if he is released. I would be very happy if the police would offer my family protection because I don’t know what his family might do to us; there are only women in the house,” she said.
As we near the end of women’s month commemorations, the victim says she was even more disgusted when the suspect’s sisters came to her on the day after the rape and offered her R10 000 to drop the case.
“It pains me that they, as women, have no empathy for me after everything I have been through. What kind of women are they? she asked.
The victim says the suspect is notorious for fighting and has pending cases against him.
“His family is rich and I believe they will be able to get him off scot-free. I feel helpless, nothing is on my side because of my poor background and being a lesbian,” she said.
The victim feels even more vulnerable because she is still reeling from the shock of the murder of her lesbian cousin who was murdered in the same month, two years ago. Stoffel Botlhokwane raped the 24-year-old Disebo Gift Makau and strangled her to death with a hosepipe. Her half-naked body was found in a pool of water. A year later, the Herald reported that the suspect was sentenced to two life sentences for rape and murder and another 15 years for theft. Two weeks ago, the Herald also reported on the murder of a gay 17-year-old, Lesley Makousa, a Gr. 10 learner at Promosa Secondary who was strangled to death with a shoelace.
His body was later dumped in desolate bushes in Promosa. Following the latest incident, the chairperson of Action for Social Justice International, Thabiso Mogapi wa Tsotetsi says the LGBTI community condemns the recent spate of hate crime within our district.
“This is bad for the image of our municipality in the eyes of prospective investors. It is high time that the government starts putting strict measures in place and punishes these criminals severely. We can’t afford to continuously live in fear of being attacked and killed. The government should prioritise hate crimes and determine the charges and sentences,” he said.