MULDERSDRIFT, South Africa – Dumisani Rebombo wasn't circumcized, did chores considered girls' work, and was sick of being taunted for not being a "man." So at age 15, he took the only course considered "manly" in his rural South African village: He raped a girl.Twenty years later he searched for the woman to beg her forgiveness — a rarity in a nation where a culture of sexual violence is deeply embedded in society. Rebombo agreed to share his story with the Associated Press on Thursday as researchers presented findings at a conference on sexual violence that show more than one in four [1/4+ = >25% (in excess of twenty-five percent)] South African men surveyed admitted to committing rape.
"Rape is an expression of male sexual entitlement," said Rachel Jewkes, chief researcher for the survey conducted by the government-funded Medical Research Foundation. "South Africa is an immensely patriarchal society. The history of the country has shaped the dominant forms of South Africa's racially defined masculinities." Many human rights activists were not surprised by the survey's findings, saying they underscore the deep cultural roots of sexual violence in a country blighted by crime and the devastating emotional, social, and economic legacy of Apartheid's brutal racial segregation. "This tells the story of many boys, of many men," said Rebombo, who is now 48 and works in community outreach to try to raise awareness of and prevent sexual abuse.
A recent report published by Interpol says South Africa has the highest incidence of rape among its member states. Some 54,000 rapes were committed in 2006, according to police statistics — nearly 150 per day, or one for every 925 people in the country.
And that does not tell the whole story: Advocates say many attacks go unreported because of the stigma associated with rape. By comparison, Americans reported one rape for every 2,642 people in 2006 — roughly a third of the South Africa rate. More>>
A recent report published by Interpol says South Africa has the highest incidence of rape among its member states. Some 54,000 rapes were committed in 2006, according to police statistics — nearly 150 per day, or one for every 925 people in the country.
And that does not tell the whole story: Advocates say many attacks go unreported because of the stigma associated with rape. By comparison, Americans reported one rape for every 2,642 people in 2006 — roughly a third of the South Africa rate. More>>
Dumisani Rebombo holds a mirror he decorated in his office, July 8, 2009. A shocking percentage of surveyed men admitted to committing rape (AP/Jerome Delay).
