A white South African judge has been criticised over a series of comments in which she purportedly claimed black men find gang-rape of a "baby, daughter and mother a pleasurable past time".

Mabel Jansen, a High Court Judge in the Pretoria, was speaking to social activist Gillian Schutte on Facebook discussing the treatment of women by black men.

Ms Schutte has only now publicly published the judge's comments from a 2015 conversation, provoking outrage across the country.

According to the post, the judge purportedly stated: "In their culture a woman is there to pleasure them. Period.

"I still have to meet a black girl who was not raped at about 12. I am dead serious.

"Murder is also is not a biggy. And gang rapes of baby, daughter and mother [are] a pleasurable pastime.

The High Court Judge has claimed the comments were taken "completely out of context", adding on Twitter: "What I stated confidentially to somebody in a position to help has been taken completely out of context and referred to specific court cases."

Ms Schutt has refuted this, saying the comments were part of a public Facebook debate.

The opposition Democratic Alliance party has described the comments "not only hurtful and demeaning but also undermined "the dignity of our people".

They have declared it will report the comments to the Judicial Services Commission to investigate if she has breached her judicial oath.

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The ruling African National Congress' women's league has questioned whether she could objectively preside over a rape case.