The issue of hate crimes came into sharp focus last week as another member of the LGBTI (lesbian women, gay men, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) community was raped, allegedly because of her sexual orientation.
The two friends were chatting and listening to music on their phones as they strolled through the graveyard in Toevlug, Ventersdorp at around 15:45 last Wednesday. Suddenly, a gunman appeared from nowhere and pointed a gun at the 22-year-old woman’s back and chased her friend away. He threatened to kill her if her friend tried to call for help.
He led the young woman to his house where he assaulted, raped and sodomised her. The victim believes it happened because she is a lesbian. According to her, the suspect had been taunting her and stalking her in her yard at night for the whole month leading up to the incident.
The victim says she is appalled by the hate crimes committed against the LGBTI community. Before the 38-year-old suspect took her to the house, he allegedly said: “You b***h, I have been looking for you”.
“When he took me to his room, he locked the door, slapped me across the face, told me to undress and raped and sodomised me for two hours. I was so scared he was going to shoot me,” she says. The suspect allegedly threatened to also rape her 18-year-old sister and her two lesbian friends.
The victim escaped when the perpetrator went outside. “I saw one of my other friends outside the house and fled with her. I went home but I was too scared to tell my mother until my friend spoke to her. They took me to the police and then to the hospital for the examination,” she said.
NW police spokesperson, Col Sabata Mokgwabone confirmed that the matter was reported to the police and that they are investigating a case of rape. The 38-year-old suspect was arrested and, when he appeared in the Ventersdorp magistrates’ court on Monday, a group of protesters were wielding placards against hate crimes.
“He will appear again for a bail application next Monday,” says Mokgwabone.
The victim says she is grateful to the community for their support and for accepting her sexual orientation.
“I would just like to tell those who are against the LGBTI community that this is how we were born Z we did not ask for this. We ask you to accept us for who we are and, if they can find it in their hearts, to accept us, show us support and love,” she said.