Press release: The Shukumisa campaign response to loopholes in the Sexual Offences Act

15 May 2012

NGOs call on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and Parliament to amend the 2007 Sexual Offences Act urgently

NGOs forming part of the Shukumisa Campaign view the ruling of the Western Cape High Court on 11 May with the deepest concern and call on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and Parliament to amend this loophole and other weaknesses in the 2007 Sexual Offences Act as a matter of priority. Such an urgent amendment needs to be passed by Parliament within days.

Most of the new crimes created by the 2007 Sexual Offences Act deal with sexual offences against children and people with intellectual disabilities. The Western Cape ruling hits these two groups of victims hardest. Given the abuse of girls and boys with intellectual disabilities that has come to light in the last few weeks this is most dismaying.    

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PRESS RELEASE: Civil society organisations in alliance to stop the Traditional Courts Bill

Civil society organisations from across the country have come together in a broad alliance that rejects the Traditional Courts Bill that is presently before the National Council of Provinces. The Alliance for Rural Democracy includes a cross-section of civil society organisations that are concerned about the detrimental effects the Bill will have on the constituencies they serve and support.

Alliance partner organisations include the Law, Race and Gender Research Unit, UCT; the Rural Women’s Movement; the Rural People’s Movement; Sonke Gender Justice; the Women’s Legal Centre; the Community Law Centre, UWC; Section 27 and the Treatment Action Campaign.  

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Update from Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust: What’s happening at the Thuthuzela Care Centres?

logo for Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust February 2011 saw Rape Crisis becoming actively involved in the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) at Karl Bremer Hospital by providing a 24 hour counselling service.  We were fortunate to have been building on the years of experience we had already gained at the TCC at Jooste Hospital.  We always understood that there would be contextual differences.  We felt excited at the prospect because we knew that it would help Rape Crisis build on our knowledge base so that we could provide an effective service to survivors who would experience no secondary trauma and take their trials to completion.  

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Barriers to Accessing Post-Rape Health Care in South Africa

cover of research report " I feel for rape surviviors"The Gender, Health & Justice Research Unit is a Shukumisa partner based at the University of Cape Town. This report was recently published by Stefanie Röhrs and looks at rape survivors access to Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) treatment for rape survivors in South Africa:

“South Africa struggles with high rates of both sexual offences and HIV/AIDS. In order to address rape survivors’ vulnerability to HIV infection as a result of having been raped, the legislature introduced HIV-related services when they reformed South Africa’s law on sexual offences. Under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007, commonly referred to as the Sexual Offences Act, rape survivors have the right to receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV, free of charge at public health care facilities.  

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Maps showing police stations monitored for Shukumisa’s 2010 report

Jen Thorpe of Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust created these Googlemaps of all the stations monitored by Shukumisa partner NGOs during 16 days of no violence against women and children 2010. This report was released in the last quarter of 2011. Click on the maps to see a full-size version  

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  • The Shukumisa Campaign

    About Us

    Welcome to the Shukumisa website, an online resource for

    • rape survivors and their families
    • concerned citizens
    • community activists

    The word Shukumisa means to shake or stir things up

    The Shukumisa Campaign was created in 2008 and aims to stir and shake up public and political will to develop and implement policies related to sexual offences

    Imagine a South Africa where:

    • Everyone treats rape as a serious crime
    • Quality Health, Policing and Legal services are available to all rape survivors, everywhere
    • All women are free to move around as they please, dressed as they please
    • Rape victims aren’t stereotyped in our media
    • We are all included in the development of laws that affect our lives and our communities.

    You can join us by:

    • Adding your voice to our Facebook discussions
    • Supporting our activities, or suggesting them
    • Writing to the media and Government to complain when the law fails rape survivors
    • Getting involved with organisations linked to the Shukumisa Campaign

  • Supported by

    This project is funded by the European Union The European Commission is the EU’s executive body.

    The European Union is made up of 27 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders