Browsing by Author "Esau, Wendy"

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    "The "Silence" of the Church in South Africa on rape"
    (University of the Western Cape, 1997) Esau, Wendy; Conradie, Ernst
    My interest in the subject of rape stems mainly from three sources. First of all, I was the hospital chaplain of the Congregational Church at both Groote Schuur and Tygerberg Hospitals, where I had the opportunity to counsel rape survivors in 1991 and 1992. Secondly, rape is quite frequent in my community. I have witnessed personally four rapes, three of them gang related. Thirdly, research on rape indicates that South Africa has the highest rape statistics in the world. South Africa's rape statistics show that reported cases are more than twice that of ) any other country and the rate is still rising (Rape Crisis 1994). Of all the rapes, 18,90% occur in the Witwatersrand, 17,48o/o in the Western Cape, 14,54o/o in Natal, 10,72% in the Eastern Cape and 8,30% in Soweto (Annual Report of the Commissioner of the South African Police 1992:61). Rape statistics from 1991-1995 I indicate that rape is constantly on the increase. - ln 1991 ,22761 rapes were reported to the South African police (Annual Report of the Commissioner of the South African Police 1992:52). - ln 1992,24 360 cases were reported to the police. That is an increase of approximately 7,03o/o (Annual Report of the Commissioner of the South African Police 1992:52). - ln 1993, 27 056 cases were reported to the police with an increase of 11,07o/o (Annual Report of the Commissioner of the South African Police 1993:96). - ln 1994, 32107 cases were reported to the police (Rape Crisis Statistics 1994). ln the Western Cape a total ol5 524 cases were reported and 37,47o/o was solved (Reported crimes: Selected categories Western Cape Region 1994). - From 1987 to 1992, the frequency of rape increased by 34,25% (Annual Report of the Commissioner of the South African Police 1992:61). - ln 1995, 34 783 cases were reported to the police nationally. In the Western Cape reported rape cases were 5 465. The reported rape cases for 1996 is not available yet (Rape Crisis 1997).
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    The ''silence'' of the church in South Africa on rape
    (University of the Western Cape, 1997) Esau, Wendy; Conradie, Ernst
    Rape is a complex issue with many faces. Different researchers from the field of psychology to sociology have attempted to understand rape. ln some psychological studies, rape is considered as a psychological disorder. Psychologists like Krafft-Ebing, a researcher on sexual disorders, in his research "Psychopathia Sexualis," categorized rapists as "degenerate, imbecile men" (Brownmiller 1975:1). Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis (1856-1939) (Meyer et al 1989:39), did not deal with the subject of rape specifically. Freud viewed the sexuality of men, which was sometimes marked by aggression and a strong tendency to subdue women, as biological. It is necessary for men to overcome the resistance of the sexual object (women) by actions other than mere courting (Geis 1977:18-19). According to Freud, this aggression is a natural characteristic of being male. Thus, in rape there is no abuse or violence, no offence, no victims and no offenders (Fortune 1983:114-115\. This view that aggression was natural to being male made rape, which is an act of aggression, a natural act. Women had no need to complain, speak up, or lay a charge against their offenders in rape. They need to be silent. Rape was most of the times considered as natural and acceptable in both church and society.