Cattle fines for child sex abuse

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Durban - Perpetrators of sexual abuse against children are getting off lightly because traditional leaders in KwaZulu-Natal often impose fines, paid in cattle, rather than co-operating with social workers. This is according to a study released yesterday, which details the extent of abuse across the country. The three-year study, by University of Cape Town (UCT) researchers and the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, found nearly 800 000 children - boys and girls, in similar numbers - had been victims of sexual abuse by the time they reached 17, and said the government’s well-meaning efforts to curb the scourge were failing. Chiefs and headmen, it emerged in the study, were consistently part of the problem.

“From the interviews with social workers, in KwaZulu-Natal, traditional leaders are not co-operating with social workers, and this was cited as a problem in every interview. Sexual and other abuse cases would be addressed by the izinduna (headmen), who decide on a fine to be paid to the family of the victim - usually livestock. Paying this amount would clear the perpetrator of fault and mollify the family, but did not in any way address the potential harm done to the victim,” reads the report.

In other areas, such as the Eastern Cape and North West provinces, researchers found social workers and traditional leaders would collaborate and support each other in their work, the study found.

Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, chairman of the KZN House of Traditional Leaders, rejected the report.

He said he “wondered” how city people seemed to know everything about rural life.

“What are these findings based on? Traditional leaders have a role to lead people, especially in the rural areas. But we don’t deal with such cases - the police do. We only ensure a suspect is held safe until he is handed to the police.

“Even when Correctional Services grants parole, izinduna are alerted to the decision so as to prepare the community for the release. I wonder which part of KZN they researched. We are shocked by these findings,” Chiliza said.

The report indicates boys and girls are equally at risk of sexual abuse, and children are targets for violence because they are vulnerable developmentally and depend on caregivers for survival and protection.

The researchers interviewed 10 000 teenagers aged between 15 and 17, conducted focus groups with local community representatives, including in schools, and had discussions with careworkers.

Recognising the pervasive and devastating impact of violence against children, the government had adopted forward-looking policies and legislation to protect children.

But this had not curbed the alarming rates of sexual violence against children, according to the study.

According to the police, 18 524 cases of sexual abuse were reported to police in 2013/2014, at an average rate of 51 cases a day.

“Much violence against children, though, is unreported and unrecorded. It remains hidden for many reasons. Young children lack the capacity to report violence and old-er children often fear retaliation by perpetrators. In addition, parents may be the perpetrators of violence against their own children, or parents may remain silent when violence is committed by other family members or by powerful members of the community or society,” the report said.

“Overall, one in three young South Africans had experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime. This equates to a total of 784 967 children who had experienced sexual abuse by the age of 17 with a total of 352 214 cases occurring among 15- to 17-year-olds last year alone.

“In the school survey, boys (36.8%) were found to be slightly more likely than girls (33.9%) to report some form of sexual abuse.

“The mean age at which girls first experienced sexual abuse was 14, while boys typically reported their first experience to be at the age of 15 years.”

In the school survey, 42.2% of respondents had experienced some form of maltreatment (whether sexual, physical, emotional or neglect), while 82.0% reported experiencing some form of victimisation (whether criminal victimisation or exposure to family or community violence). By and large, girls and urban dwellers were more likely to report these experiences than boys and those living in rural areas.

President of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Joan van Niekerk, said the outcomes of the research tallied with her experience and that it was useful to have this confirmed by research.

Daily News