Stop Jail Rape - American organization we contacted.
-----Original Message-----
From: Memory [mailto:memory@venturenet.co.za]
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2008 1:08 PM
To: Christine Kregg
Subject: stop prisoner rape - South Africa
Hi there!
I have started an organization called Together Against Abuse, of which our primary concern at the moment is the prevention of prisoner rape. Our mission includes forging a network of all existing organizations in our country, and abroad, to stand together.
We also are asking for the installation of cctv in all the holding cels and jails of our country.
We are a private, non-profit organization, motivated towards reform.
We are setting up a web-site as www.togetheragainstabuse.bravehost.com and would appreciate input from yourselves.
Thank you very much,
Memory Pieterse
First reply received 7 July 2008:
I am out of the office until July 14th. For more immediate assistance please contact Edward Cervantes at ecervantes@spr.org or (213) 384-1400 ext. 105
Second reply received 15 July 2008
Hello Memory,
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I replied to this, and included an article from the Beeld newspaper as an example.
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Sent: Thu 7/24/2008 3:51 AM
To: Cynthia Totten
Subject: Re: stop prisoner rape - South Africa
| Meer nuus by www.Beeld.com
Lees die storie by: Gestuur deur: memory Oudpolisieman se sel-hel
'n Jaguitstappie het in ’n nagmerrie ontaard vir ’n oudpolisieman toe hy ’n naweek lank in ’n vol sel aangehou is...
Linda de Beer |
Her reply:
I translated the article, of which you can now read the english version under our related published artilces.
I also included the following attachments:
The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:
Jail rape The sordid facts South Africa Politics News24
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-----Original Message-----
Jail rape: The sordid facts
01/03/2005 22:15 - (SA)
Cape Town - Confusion and a lack of any clear policy to deal with the sexual interaction of prisoners made it difficult to prevent the rape of inmates in South Africa's prisons, parliament's correctional services portfolio committee heard on Tuesday.
Briefing the committee about gangs and sexual violence in the country's prisons, researchers from the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) said the department of correctional services' 2002 anti-rape strategy had not yet filtered down.
"The people on the ground have never ever heard of it," CSVR researcher Sasha Gear told MPs.
There was no support structure for prison staff or inmates, and rights and roles were not clearly defined.
While consensual sex between adult inmates in prison was constitutionally legal, the problem arose where force was used, which was often the case.
Blatant rape
"Much of the sex that takes place in prison happens along gender lines.
"Depending on a person's role in the sex act, participants are identified in prison culture as men or women," said Gear.
Most of the sex was highly coercive, and blatant rape.
According to prison culture, anyone who had been "sexually penetrated in a power-defined interaction", was considered a woman, and it was then their job to provide men with sex.
"A 'marriage' begins with the act of rape (penetration), and the 'wife' is then the constant target of humiliation," she said.
She added, however, that the term "homosexuality" was taboo among prisoners, especially those involved in "marriage relationships" where the role of each partner was clearly defined.
"Sex by mutual consent, where both parties take turns to be penetrated, is also a taboo because it breaks the rules of prison sex and is associated with homosexuality," she said.
Gear said an aggressive sexual nature was often carried into the outside world by prisoners on their release, leading to further acts of violence through warped perceptions of reality.
This was particularly true of young prisoners.
Some warders take part in 'trade'
There was no clear policy regarding sexual assault. This led to confusion of what was outlawed and what was not, she said.
The situation was aggravated by warder involvement. Gear said some warders took part in the "trade" of prisoners for coercive sex and rape.
"A sense of resignation among officials to the fact of sexual abuse is reported, as well as fear for their own safety should they intervene," Gear said, noting that overcrowded prisons made the problem worse.
Committee chairman Dennis Bloem agreed the situation had to be investigated, and acted upon immediately.