By Neelam Rahim

Radio Islam International is joined in discussion with activist and researcher Lisa Vetten.

South Africans have become almost immune to reports of rape, but this brutal, horrific incident shows the depravity women face in this country.

According to Lisa putting this rape into a context that research has consistently pointed to, about one in six rapes in South Africa have been gang rapes. Most of these are typically by two men, but studies have shown that at least a few every year can involve up to ten men. 

She says that they are rare. They capture our attention and are so awful and appalling. It’s good to focus on rape but should not think that this is a norm for most rapes in South Africa.

Difficult to say how the rape stats of South Africa compare globally.

Lisa tells Radio Islam that this is because many countries have not done this research. 

Meanwhile, research shows that multiple perpetrator rape is more prevalent than in other parts of the country.

According to Lisa, a report nationally in 2012, the most recent data found that the most significant number of multiple perpetrator rapes were reported in North West. 

She says multiple perpetrator rapes are also found in urban rather than rural areas, which tells us that many factors are influencing the likelihood of gang rape. 

Important to bear in mind the thought of rape that there are roughly different scenarios for rape. One would be two people knowing each other, and there is the category of rape committee by men who are in a range of other criminal behaviour including armed robbery, murder and hijacking. She added that some rapes are most questionably connected to gang activity.

Lisa further mentions that using weapons subdues and caresses unarmed people in ways. It points to the problem where they need to control illegal firearms in South Africa and shows the relationship between another form of illegality and rape.