Child abusers buy freedom

2003-03-26 23:19

Liela Magnus

Pretoria - The majority of child abuse cases are withdrawn because parents reach settlements with the suspects.

Captain Ronnie Naidoo, national police spokesperson, said certain cultures in South Africa allowed suspects to "buy" their freedom from their victims' parents for anything from a broach to R20 000.

In cases where the victim knows the suspect, the victim is threatened or intimidated. This results in many cases being withdrawn.

Addressing a panel of the Institute for Security Studies on Wednesday, Professor Susan Kreston, a prosecutor and law professor from the US, said this is the reason why children are removed more readily from their families these days in cases of sexual or physical abuse.

"The principal of conserving the family is killing children," she said.

She said child molestation, rape and abuse were viewed through the eyes of adults.

"A rape victim is not expected to move in with the rapist. How can children be expected to move back into the home?"

Children are taken to places of safety more often these days because they cannot be intimidated or abused there.

Kreston said convictions in such cases increased by 80% where doctors, social workers, the police and prosecutor co-operate from the start of the case.

She said child molesters and rapists in the USA were growing more sophisticated. "Condoms are commonly used and children are prepared for some time before the criminal act to prevent physical injury.

Sperm for DNA testing could be found in only 2% of the cases, she said.

Videos, filmed by criminals while they were committing the crimes, are increasingly helping the American police track down perpetrators.

- Beeld