Political Perspective

IT is all very well for women parliamentarians to call for maximum sentences for rapists, but that is not going to solve the problem, as we all know.

They’d do better to get out into their constituencies and do some educating and mobilising around this issue rather than merely shout the odds in Parliament. To try to salve our consciences by putting away such people for life is to treat the symptoms rather than the causes of the scourge of rape.I’M happy, of course, that MPs have raised the issue, but slightly perplexed that it’s the women in Parliament, rather than all members, who are putting this issue on the agenda.After all, although it affects primarily women and children, rape is not just a ‘woman’ thing.It’s a national problem and men just damn well better be part of the solution or there won’t be one at all.Namibians need to look at why rape is happening at such a prolific rate in our society.And even more importantly, to examine why children, in particular infants, are increasingly targeted.We have by now surely accumulated enough statistics on rapists themselves, as well as the crime of rape, to try to establish whether there is a pattern throughout our society in demographic terms; whether socio-economic backgrounds play a role; or upbringing; or any other factors that may lead us to solutions to the problem.The crucial question is why violent crime against women is increasing? More importantly, why children, infants? Rape is defined as a crime of violence.What is driving men in Namibia to commit such horrific acts? Is it pure sadism, as one suspects must be the case when it comes to the rape of infants and children? Is it sometimes alcohol-induced? Is it a result of hopelessness and feelings of futility about life? Or none of the above? Not that there can be any excuse for this kind of act, but we need to give thought to trying to identify the cause of this spiralling violence.And there must be something the statistics can tell us.We also need to look at our court data.Our MPs could do a bit of homework in this regard.How often do rapists, alleged or otherwise, get away with their crimes of violence because of shoddy police work, lost dockets, or witnesses who fail to turn up? The arrest of an alleged rapist is one thing.The conviction quite another.And if our law enforcement agencies are not up to scratch in terms of thorough police work, properly investigating and putting a solid case together against the perpetrator/s, we cannot expect the courts to mete out sentences that are appropriate to the crime.I do of, course, agree in principle that rapists be given maximum sentences but I also acknowledge that it is not as easy as that.They’ve got to be proven guilty first! So for MPs to cry ‘life’ for rapists is futile unless the law enforcement machinery is in place to ensure that such people don’t go scot-free because the police are inefficient and inept.Neither is deterrence after the fact the only solution.To effectively tackle the crime of rape, we need to scrutinise our societal norms and cultures.Has something gone badly wrong somewhere? We need also to examine the effectiveness, or lack thereof, in our law enforcement agencies.We’ve got agencies out there, including the police, such as the Women and Child Abuse Centre; psychiatrists and social workers and counsellors, who can surely help shed some light on the subject so that we can begin to effectively tackle the problem rather than simply express outrage.We need to interview perpetrators.Why are they doing it? Especially raping children? Does the reported myth about the fear of HIV-AIDS have something to do with acts of sexual violence against children? A recent case in the headlines may answer some of these questions if those apprehended are asked them: a mother and a two-year- old infant are sleeping.Two men enter the shack.They are intent on violence or more specifically, rape? They have a choice.Two apparently unresistant prospective victims.They ignore the sleeping mother and abduct the child, who is later found raped and murdered about 100 metres away.Why? Perhaps if the casework against the two alleged perpetrators is properly prepared and put before court, we may have some answers.And answers we do need if we are to tackle the problem effectively.To try to salve our consciences by putting away such people for life is to treat the symptoms rather than the causes of the scourge of rape.I’M happy, of course, that MPs have raised the issue, but slightly perplexed that it’s the women in Parliament, rather than all members, who are putting this issue on the agenda.After all, although it affects primarily women and children, rape is not just a ‘woman’ thing.It’s a national problem and men just damn well better be part of the solution or there won’t be one at all.Namibians need to look at why rape is happening at such a prolific rate in our society.And even more importantly, to examine why children, in particular infants, are increasingly targeted.We have by now surely accumulated enough statistics on rapists themselves, as well as the crime of rape, to try to establish whether there is a pattern throughout our society in demographic terms; whether socio-economic backgrounds play a role; or upbringing; or any other factors that may lead us to solutions to the problem.The crucial question is why violent crime against women is increasing? More importantly, why children, infants? Rape is defined as a crime of violence.What is driving men in Namibia to commit such horrific acts? Is it pure sadism, as one suspects must be the case when it comes to the rape of infants and children? Is it sometimes alcohol-induced? Is it a result of hopelessness and feelings of futility about life? Or none of the above? Not that there can be any excuse for this kind of act, but we need to give thought to trying to identify the cause of this spiralling violence.And there must be something the statistics can tell us.We also need to look at our court data.Our MPs could do a bit of homework in this regard.How often do rapists, alleged or otherwise, get away with their crimes of violence because of shoddy police work, lost dockets, or witnesses who fail to turn up? The arrest of an alleged rapist is one thing.The conviction quite another.And if our law enforcement agencies are not up to scratch in terms of thorough police work, properly investigating and putting a solid case together against the perpetrator/s, we cannot expect the courts to mete out sentences that are appropriate to the crime.I do of, course, agree in principle that rapists be given maximum sentences but I also acknowledge that it is not as easy as that.They’ve got to be proven guilty first! So for MPs to cry ‘life’ for rapists is futile unless the law enforcement machinery is in place to ensure that such people don’t go scot-free because the police are inefficient and inept.Neither is deterrence after the fact the only solution.To effectively tackle the crime of rape, we need to scrutinise our societal norms and cultures.Has something gone badly wrong somewhere? We need also to examine the effectiveness, or lack thereof, in our law enforcement agencies.We’ve got agencies out there, including the police, such as the Women and Child Abuse Centre; psychiatrists and social workers and counsellors, who can surely help shed some light on the subject so that we can begin to effectively tackle the problem rather than simply express outrage.We need to interview perpetrators.Why are they doing it? Especially raping children? Does the reported myth about the fear of HIV-AIDS have something to do with acts of sexual violence against children? A recent case in the headlines may answer some of these questions if those apprehended are asked them: a mother and a two-year- old infant are sleeping.Two men enter the shack.They are intent on violence or more specifically, rape? They have a choice.Two apparently unresistant prospective victims.They ignore the sleeping mother and abduct the child, who is later found raped and murdered about 100 metres away.Why? Perhaps if the casework against the two alleg
ed perpetrators is properly prepared and put before court, we may have some answers.And answers we do need if we are to tackle the problem effectively.