Charlize aiming at a DNA lab

2004-03-10 22:39

Antoinette Pienaar

Pretoria - Charlize Theron wants to use her planned South African charity organisation to establish a more-effective laboratory system where DNA tests can be conducted to bolster cases in the prosecution of rapists.

More should also be done through counselling to help rape victims, Charlize told Cameron Hume, American ambassador to South Africa, reporters and government officials in Pretoria.

"Any form of violence is unacceptable. We need to get together and address this problem. It does not help if people are reluctant to talk about this.

"I will always speak out about this. We have a beautiful country, the most beautiful I have seen.

"Let's respect that and treat each other with respect, compassion and love without judging," she pleaded.

Charlize said she wanted to help to establish DNA technology in South Africa to strengthen prosecution cases against rapists -"so that people can get the message that they will not get away with it".

This type of technology, which analyse body fluids and tissue among other things, can link a rapist to a crime scene.

"We also need improved counselling services in this country, like in the USA where people can be helped immediately and virtually anywhere to work through the trauma.

"This service should be available everywhere, not only in large centres such as Pretoria."

HIV/Aids also deserved serious attention, said Charlize. "The numbers are far too high in this country."

She was upset when a reporter told of a woman who had had to travel 400km for antiretroviral medication and counselling after she had been raped.

Journalists also told of women in remote areas who did not trust police enough to report attacks.

Charlize said her plans with the new charity organisation would bring her to South Africa more often.

- Beeld