Why the Dros rape should not shock us

Every day, men get away with abuse, become presidents, and are nominated as justices

THE rape of a 6-year-old girl by a man in the toilet of the Dros restaurant in Pretoria has produced widespread shock waves across South Africa.

The shock seems to be related to the fact that the victim was a child.

As Deborah Posel, UCT sociology professor and author, argued 10 years ago, the rape of babies and children regarded as “morally innocent and defenceless” has become “a national obsession, the focus of overt public anguish and political alarm”. Responses to the rape of the 6-year-old demonstrate that most South Africans regard child rape as a distinct category of violation; the most abhorrent act, as reflected in Facebook comments:

● “This is so sick if I was there I would have chopped his private parts out. No doubt, then he wouldn’t hurt another child ever again.”

● “His soul is black pitch black… Leave our innocent child alone.”

● “Love for the death penalty to come back for f***ers who hurt kids and animals.”

Of course the violation of a child is unacceptable. This is because, as feminist writer and dean of research at the University of Fort Hare, Pumla Gqola, says, “rape is always unacceptable”.

This is one of the contradictions at the heart of our rape culture: that some people deserve to be raped and others not. It should not take the rape of a child in a restaurant’s toilet for us to be appalled by rape.

The fact that we are angry and horrified about the little girl’s rape does not protect others who are raped.

When the physically violent rapes of “morally innocent” victims becomes the standard by which we measure rape, the grip of rape culture tightens.

The children (and adults) raped in their homes by people they know are left out and silenced. Those whose rapes do not leave them covered in blood and bruises are ignored.

We are shocked that the rapist denied the rape, despite being caught covered in blood and locked in a toilet cubicle with the child. He said he was just helping the child, not raping her.

We should not be shocked. Every day men get away with rape. They become presidents. They are nominated as justices of the Supreme Court.

They are not held accountable. In this context, why are we surprised that a man thinks he can rape a child in the bathroom and get away with it?

Part of the shock also seems to be related to the fact that the rapist is white. A number of racist perspectives have been posted on social media.

The idea that rape is part of “black culture” but not of “white culture” disguises the harm caused by white men.

The legacy of colonialism and apartheid in our country is the legacy of white men’s violence, including the mass rape of black women and murder of black men. By perpetuating the stereotype of the “black rapist” white men have distracted us from the violence that they commit.

While black men are seen as “inherently violent”, when white men are violent it is often seen as an exception.

@FLWhitehorn, whose tweets are protected, tweeted: “For all we know the man had some mental breakdown. Ridiculous that he was assaulted.”

As we have seen in the cases of Oscar Pistorius and Brock Turner, the American swimmer, white men receive less severe sentences for committing acts of violence, than black men.

This normalises white men’s violence and makes it harder for victims of this violence to come forward. This allows white men’s violence to continue. It is possible that the Dros rapist thought he was more likely to get away with the rape because he is white.

We are all shocked about what happened to a 6-year-old girl at the Dros on September 22, but shouldn’t be.

What happened to her is a product of rape culture. It is a product of a society in which men feel entitled to the bodies of girls, women and people of other genders. It is a product of racism, which dismisses violence perpetrated by white men. It is a product of our failure to act in all instances of rape.

We should offer support to the child and her family, we should be angry with the man who raped her and we should demand justice. But we should not do these things in isolation.

We should offer support to all survivors. We should hold all perpetrators accountable, regardless of their race. We should make all rape unacceptable. Rebecca Helman is a PhD Candidate at Unisa and a Researcher at Unisa’s Institute for Social and Health Sciences and the South African Medical Research Council – Unisa’s Violence, Injury and Peace Research Unit. Rebecca writes in her personal capacity. I WAS excited when I was told by Professor Brian Williams that Cape Argus editor Mr Aziz Hartley had invited 10 Peace Ambassadors to go to Robben Island on Heritage Day.

As a teenager from Hanover Park, the idea of going to Robben Island was very far from my mind. It seemed like another world, so far from the tragedies that I see in Hanover Park.

In my community there is so much sadness and poverty and violence. Yet I know that there are far more good things happening and good people than the ones that cause us pain.

As Peace Ambassadors from Hanover Park, we are committed to hope, peace and joy. Samuel Stoffberg, a fellow Peace Ambassador from my school, and I travelled together to the Waterfront. Inga Habe from our school also arrived. We were very early…

The other Peace Ambassadors from Mountview High (Chadwick Abrahams, Mumtaaz Galant, Talia Petersen and Keenan Weitz) and Groenvlei High (Labeeqah Stemmet, Kate-Lynn and Ibraheem Abrahams) also arrived. Everyone was talking with excitement.

Ms Lucinda Paulse made beautiful Peace Ambassador T-Shirts for us in UN blue, the colour peace.

For me it was a magical moment when we got on to the ferry and arrived at Robben Island.

Nelson Mandela said “the oral traditions of our ancestors have disappeared as a technique of acquiring knowledge in all fields, but even the younger generation of today still values the experience of elders”.

As I was passing by Nelson Mandela’s small cell I felt so sad knowing he was locked in there for so long. Nelson Mandela is our hero.

The kramat (shrine) also attracted me because I thought that they would have no mercy for someone’s religious views but that’s when I saw the kramat.

It was built in memory of Pangerau Chakra Deningrat, the Asian prince of Madura. He died on the island in 1754 and he was a Muslim leader.

I’ve learnt that a nation must be embraced, rehabilitated and expressed as a tangible sight of human creativity and as an integral element of mankind’s heritage. Africa is renowned for its beauty, its rich natural heritage and prolific resources – but equally, the image of its suffering children haunts the conscience of our continent and the world.

As a Peace Ambassador, I enjoyed every moment on Robben Island.

Nelson Mandela said, “we need to continue emphasising the fact of the overwhelming existence of such common decency and desire to live in peace with one another in the world”.

Through the peace ambassador training, my life has changed.

I thank the City of Cape Town for the pilot project that they started in Hanover Park. I think of the tragic killing of Peace Ambassador Keagan de Silver and the near fatal shooting of Peace Ambassador Riedwaan Samuels. I am inspired to work for peace.

Too many young people have died in Hanover Park and on the Cape Flats.

I believe that here in South Africa, with all our diversities, we will show the world a new form of democracy.

There is a challenge for us to set a new example. Chief Albert Luthuli said “let us not side step this task”.

Nelson Mandela lived his life by three principles: free yourself, free others and serve every day. Now the baton of leadership has been handed to us.

It is in our hands now to make positive differences as Peace Ambassadors.

What happened is a product of our rape culture in a society in which men feel entitled to the bodies of girls, women