Lesbian women in South Africa are being raped by members of gangs in South Africa who believe they will 'cure' them of their orientation. According to a new report by human rights organisation ActionAid, horrific crimes against lesbians were going unrecognised by the state and unpunished by the legal system. "So-called 'corrective' rape is yet another grotesque manifestation of violence against women, the most widespread human rights violation in the world today," says Zanele Twala, Director of ActionAid South Africa. "These crimes continue unabated and with impunity, while governments simply turn a blind eye." The ActionAid report recommends gang rape incidents against lesbian women be recognised as 'hate crimes' – and wants the police force to address an increasing wave of violence against women in South Africa. A video about this story, from the UK's Guardian newspaper, can be viewed from the top link below.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Sunday, 15th March 2009 - 10:56pm