'No winners' in Zuma trial

2006-05-08 22:30

Johannesburg - Nobody really scored in the Jacob Zuma rape trial - even though the former deputy president walked away from court a free man on Monday - Dr Irma Labuschange, a criminologist at Unisa, said about Judge Willem van der Merwe's ruling that Zuma's accuser had actually consented to sex.

"This case has caused everybody a lot of serious damage, but in the end nobody really won, because we mixed morals with crime," said Labuschagne.

"It was horrible when Khwezi's sexual history was revealed, but I believe that even if one has the morals of an alleycat, one's morality should not be judged in court. We must stop believing that all women are angels and men monsters," she said. Zuma's reputation has also been tainted for life.

Lisa Vetten from the centre for family violence and reconciliation believed Khwezi, as she was dubbed, was in the dock for her sexual history.

"The average young woman is sexually active so why should your history be revealed if you are the victim of rape?" she said.

"Research has shown that women and children who have been abused might also be raped when they are older. This ruling will definitely keep women from reporting rape cases."

Double standards

Professor Amanda Gouws, senior lecturer in political studies at the University of Stellenbosch, agrees with her. "When the court allows the complainant's history to be revealed in a case, it sends a message of double standards, as Zuma's history was never revealed.

"It's sad the woman had to flee the country for fear of her life," she said.

Professor Anna van der Hoven, a criminologist at Unisa, believed the ruling was fair and that the judge had given good reasons for it.

"There is a possibility that a woman freezes when she's being raped but that mostly happens when the rapist is armed or acts very violently.

"In rape cases it's the complainant's word against that of the alleged attacker, so she must make very sure that she has all the forensic evidence and that the case is reported as soon as possible."

- Beeld