Sexual abuse, major concern for Alex community
ALEXANDRA – Witnesses of child abuse are obliged to report
Witnesses of child and other abuse are required by law to report this to law enforcement or other related authorities.
This according to Irene Khumalo of NPO, Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training.
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She said people’s moral conscience and social values should encourage them to respect the rights of the weakest and vulnerable children and women among us. “This is in order to protect those who are particularly at risk even within their families,” she added.
Khumalo said this would require intense education of society on sexuality, sexual abuse and violence which is blotting the image of Alexandra and South African society in general.
“Instead of reacting when a victim is raped, we should report when signs of abuse start with unauthorised touching, patting and bad mouthing of the victim. Education will encourage mental reorientation in perpetrators and empower victims to say no and know that they will be supported by society.”
In the case of Alex with a high migration pattern, Khumalo suggested that education programmes be conducted regularly. “People come in and go before they integrate fully and build community relations. As a result, many of them are unconcerned if they act negatively including committing crimes on neighbours knowing that they can disappear without a trace.”
Education, she added, would inculcate a sense of social belonging, accountability and neighbourliness between established residents and transient job seekers who preferred to reside in Alex where they benefited from free water, electricity and provided them easy access to work and other opportunities in Johannesburg.
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She also urged for proactive and visible local leadership and ward-based teams to promote anti-crime programmes in partnership with law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies which she asked to be more sensitive when dealing with traumatised victims. This, she said, would complement her NPO’s anti-abuse work which included distributing pamphlets door-to-door; victim empowerment forum meetings; engaging school children through life orientation sessions to strengthen schools safety frameworks; participating in dialogues with experts at social crime prevention unit meetings and encouraging victims to attend therapy and counselling to help them deal with trauma.
