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A new ActionAid report
describes the chilling rise of "corrective" rape in South Africa - in which
South African lesbians are being raped in an effort to "cure" them of their
sexual orientation.
This shocking act of sexual violence must also be considered a hate crime >>
Support groups in Cape
Town say they see 10 new cases of "corrective" rape every week. And it's
even more widespread around the rest of the country.
Many
perpetrators of rape already go unpunished in South Africa, but the
situation is even worse for lesbian women. Indeed, 31 lesbian women
have been murdered in homophobic attacks since 1998, but in only one of
these cases has there been a conviction.
Although South Africa's
constitution recognizes rights of gay and lesbian people, its legal
system does not view crimes committed against gay and lesbians on the basis
of sexual orientation to be hate crimes. The South African legal
system must recognize "corrective" rape as a hate crime in addition to a
rape in order to establish a greater punishment for this brutal and
widespread crime.
Urge South African President Kgalema Motlanthe to deem "corrective" rape a
hate crime! >>
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Thank you,
LiAnna
Care2 and The Petition Site Team |
P.S. Looking for even more ways to learn about and take action on human
rights issues? Check out Care2's Human Rights Cause channel for blog posts,
timely news stories, petitions and more >>
http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AFlJu/zjYn/Ay0G1
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