'Stop excusing rapists'
by Tim
2009-07-13 14:19
In the report Rape linked to manhood in SA, the researchers try to explain away why a quarter of South Africa's men rape women.
A researcher, one Rachel Jewkes, tries to explain it by saying rape is an "expression of male sexual entitlement". One Mbuyiselo Botha as well as unnamed activists says it is due to apartheid, which "made violence an instrument of control and violence became the norm".
I'm sorry, but this is hogwash.
Using the example of Dumisani Rebombo, he knew it was wrong (which rules out him out being a psychopath - but more on that later). The report notes, "He resisted, fearful of his religious parents and their good standing in the community."
Regardless of this, he went on and raped a young girl, AFTER she was kidnapped by a gang and raped by another thug. In actual fact, while the report couches the language in an apologetic manner, this event is sickening. The girl was brutalised and raped and Rebombo admits it! Why hasn't he been thrown in jail?
So why do so many South African men rape?
It is frankly utter nonsense to try to blame apartheid. If you know it is wrong, then why go ahead and do it? What has denial of voting (apartheid) got to do with it? If this was a factor, why are Western women not engaging in all sorts of crimes, given that they were denied the vote until the early parts of the last century?
Since gender equality pretty much is still a pipe dream across the world, why are a quarter of women not thugs and criminals?
So are South Africa rapists psychopaths?
Dr Robert Hare definition is widely used in assessing a psychopath. Some of the criteria are: Pathological lying; cunning/manipulative; lack of remorse or guilt; emotionally shallow; callous/lack of empathy; failure to accept responsibility for own actions; poor behavioural control; promiscuous sexual behaviour; lack of realistic, long-term goals; impulsivity; irresponsibility; juvenile delinquency; early behaviour problems; revocation of conditional release; many short-term marital relationships; and criminal versatility.
So in Rebombo's case, he does not fit into the definition of a psychopath, but the criteria comes suspiciously close to fitting the profile of many rapists. And what about the views of Botha? Blaming a third party (such as apartheid or "I am not responsible - the devil made me do it") really fits the psychopathic mould quite nicely.
So let's call a spade a spade. To the rapists out there: You rape because you are thugs. You have as little respect for yourself as you do the women you so mercilessly prey upon. You are not men. You are an insult to men. You are pathetic deviants in society. You are cowards.
And to those out there that try to find comfy excuses for rapists. Don't. You are making it easier for the rapists to ply their trade. Rapists are an evil, an abomination. Pure and simple. Lock them up.