Brutal Rape Sparks Unusual Proposal

     This post is a follow up of my past blog titled 'South Africa Outraged at Gang Rape of Teenager'.  The shocking rape and murder of 17 year old Anene Booysens has politicians and police searching for solutions and repercussions. While many South Africans are regularly confronted with violent killings, the extreme brutality of this attack in a small picturesque town has the nation's attention.  South Africans are facing high counts of incidences of sexual violence against women, including two high profile gang-rapes last year. It was recorded by the South African police that more than 64,000 cases of gang-rapes occur a year, that's more than seven an hour! Within hours of Booysens rape, an extreme debate occurred over tactics to change South African's brutal sexual violence. With this debate a controversial proposal was made in Limpopo Province that would force men accused of rape to have an HIV test and charge them with attempted murder if they test positive of the disease. It was thought that some of the rapists could be intentionally infecting the women they rape with the HIV virus, though that has not been properly investigated.
    They stated that this precaution is needed to protect women and children. I could understand this viewpoint but I'm not sure I entirely believe that it will lower crime rates related to rape. It may change the numbers a little but on a miniscule level. As I pointed out in my last blog, these girls rarely report their rape because less than 10% of reported sexual crimes result in a successful prosecution.  There is no evidence that this will stop offenders from transmitting HIV in the future. A counter to this possible law is that if the criminalization of HIV were to go beyond men accused of rape, it could be women who face prosecution, as they are often the first to learn they are HIV positive in their relationships. There is just too many factors that come to thought when contemplating this new law. I think it is a good effort, and perhaps it will work. I hope it does because these crime rates are just ridiculous,  over seven rapes occur in an hour? Something has to been done, and I'm glad they are contemplating new ideas to reduce these heinous crimes.

Sources:  http://news.yahoo.com/south-africa-brutal-rape-sparks-unusual-proposal-222106938.html