Raped and killed for being a lesbian: South Africa ignores 'corrective' attacks

[Wetzelbill]

Raped and killed for being a lesbian: South Africa ignores 'corrective' attacks

• Women living in fear of brutal assaults by male gangs
• Country's 'macho politics' lead to lack of action



The partially clothed body of Eudy Simelane, former star of South Africa's acclaimed Banyana Banyana national female football squad, was found in a creek in a park in Kwa Thema, on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Simelane had been gang-raped and brutally beaten before being stabbed 25 times in the face, chest and legs. As well as being one of South Africa's best-known female footballers, Simelane was a voracious equality rights campaigner and one of the first women to live openly as a lesbian in Kwa Thema.

Her brutal murder took place last April, and since then a tide of violence against lesbian women in South Africa has continued to rise. Human rights campaigners say it is characterised by what they call "corrective rape" committed by men behind the guise of trying to "cure" lesbian women of their sexual orientation.

Now, a report by the international NGO ActionAid, backed by the South African Human Rights Commission, condemns the culture of impunity around these crimes, which it says are going unrecognised by the state and unpunished by the legal system.

The report calls for South Africa's criminal justice system to recognise hate crimes, including corrective rape, as a separate crime category. It argues this will force police to take action over the rising violence and ensure the resources and support is provided to those trying to bring perpetrators to justice.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/12/eudy-simelane-corrective-rape-south-africa

[shireen]

1. psychopathic cruel evil bullies

i hate them. that's all i can say. i HATE them.

[Wetzelbill]

3. It's horrific

There is nothing remotely rational about it. It's hate, pure and simple. I can't see how anybody could think it was ok, yet they still walk the streets.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Sigh. :(

[Wetzelbill]

4. .

I know what you mean, my friend. It made my heart sad to read it, it is an important story though.

[Belial]

5. That is so wrong..

[lazer47]

6. Ignorance here and abroad,, it knows no bounds.

<"corrective rape" committed by men behind the guise of trying to "cure" lesbian women> makes about as much sense as intercourse to cure virginity,,Ignorance seems to be standard world wide.

[Sultana]

7. There are no words

South Africa is the same country with men who believe that sleeping errr raping young girls and women will cure their HIV/AIDS (a 6 month old baby girl was raped).

The video is so disturbing. This is fucking why I will never ever marry an African men (& I am African), ignorant sexist PIGS. :mad:

RIP Eudy Simelane


:cry: