Police concerned by rape in Alex
ALEXANDRA - With the commemoration of August as women's month coming to a close, the Alex police have revealed a worrying trend about rape in the township.
With the commemoration of August as Women’s Month coming to a close, Alex police have revealed a worrying trend about rape in the township.
This was stated by acting head of the Visible Policing Unit of the Alexandra Cluster, Colonel Johannes Tau at the Alex Police Station in the presence of MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane. Tau said a four-month comparative statistic for 2014 and 2015 showed a worrying trend that highlights women’s vulnerability to this type of crime.
In April last year, the station recorded 12 cases against 11 this year; May was 16 against 8; June, 10 against 4; and July was 21 and 10.
Tau said the decrease could hide the reality due to victims not reporting rape incidents out of the fear of losing bread winners after they were arrested and convicted.
He said the crime of sexual abuse was abominable, infringed on women’s privacy, their womanhood, dignity and rights.
“It’s most concerning as some of the reported cases are accompanied by domestic violence committed any time of the day in the home by fathers, step fathers, siblings and uncles,” said Tau.
“Others are committed by strangers, mostly on victims they encounter on weekend nights and early mornings walking home alone from taverns, or to and from work.”
Tau said some of the victims were drugged, raped and assaulted. He added that others were drunk and were unsure of the details of the assault making it difficult for police to investigate the crime.
Tau urged women to desist from using secluded and unmarked routes, and from befriending strangers, especially at drinking spots.
He encouraged increased public awareness and the education of men and boys to respect women as they have rights to privacy, respect and freedom of movement.
