Member's Statement: Child abuse in South Africa

African Christian Democratic Party leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe MP

27th May 2003

The ACDP would like to whole-heartedly support the cry of desperation from the organisation, Women Against Child Abuse, for government to stop shifting blame for the levels of child abuse in South Africa and change the legislation it created that contributes to the problem, when this parliament legalised pornography.

The National Council of Child Welfare says it handles about 26 000 cases of sexual and physical abuse of children countrywide every month. The blame for the recent increase in child abuse and child rapes needs to be laid firmly at the feet of government who through it's liberal and antifamily laws and lenient sentences imposed on criminals have created a climate conducive to the spread of unacceptable behaviour of sexually abusing children who should be celebrating their innocence.

Government support for organisations such as loveLife that teach our children about pre-marital sex through the school education system is doing more harm than good to our children as they are promoting an unhealthy curiosity and sexual experimentation from an early age, is regrettable.

Crimes against children are taking on epic proportions and the government should at least ensure that a minimum life sentence be mandatory and be imposed in all cases of rape as criminals found guilty of crimes against children often get off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist from the courts in South Africa.

The legalisation of pornography has attributed to the problem, and the ACDP wants to reiterate that parliament made a mistake by legalising pornography, which inflames the passion and lusts of men causing them to go out and commit despicable acts of rape and violence against defenceless children. For as long as we have so much pornography in this country, the incidence of rape of children will keep on increasing. Pornography is the theory, but rape is the practice.

Rapists and criminals in general do not fear the soft arm of the law. Men who rape children do not respect the child's right to life and therefore government and our courts should also not respect their right to life either.

The ACDP has and will always call for the reinstatement of the death penalty but feels especially strong about this issue when it comes to the incidence of child rape in South Africa.


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For more information: Rev Kenneth Meshoe MP at 082 962 5884
Media Liaison: Charmaine Horne at 084 370 3550 or 021 403 3307