Is no one safe in today’s society?

Although many women found that the topic was too delicate to discuss, Lowvelder discovered that men were generally outraged by the tendency of paedophilia in society.

Photo posed.

NELSPRUIT – Local and international news has recently been filled with events regarding the molestation or rape of children.

Lowvelder approached residents at the Tarentaal Centre to hear whether they felt they could protect themselves or their loved ones and what they felt the correct sentencing should be for sexual offences.

Seeing as it is such a sensitive matter, many residents chose to air their opinions without exposing their identities.

“I was a victim of sexual abuse when I was younger and it took me 15 years to make peace with what had happened. Initially, my parents didn’t believe me when I told them and to this day, whenever I see someone with a similar build to that person, I

go cold.

“I don’t think there is any way to protect yourself from paedophiles if our law system cannot even do it. Just the other day, we read about a man that was found guilty of molesting children, yet he was given a suspended sentence.

“How does that protect us?” said one woman.

A man added that he believed paedophiles took away children’s right to healthy, happy lives and therefore they should be sentenced to death. “A life for a life,” was his statement.

Although many women found that the topic was too delicate to discuss, Lowvelder discovered that men were generally outraged by the tendency of paedophilia in society. “In eastern countries your hand is chopped off for stealing. Why can’t we have these sexual predators’ genitals removed?” one man wanted to know.

Another was very upset by this topic and merely said, “By molesting or raping a person – or even worse, a child – that person’s human rights are violated. Why is the law protecting these monsters?”

Zanele Maseko I am not comfortable knowing that paedophiles are left to be on our streets. They should be locked up for life.

Nantes Brits
Instead of protecting us, our law system has changed us into sitting ducks. Paedophiles should either be behind bars or institutionalised. Paedophelia is not something that happens overnight, it is usually caused by absent parenting or problems at home at a young age. Therefore, the only way we can try to protect ourselves, would be by being the best parents possible in order to prevent our youth to become such monsters.

Jaco Steyn
I believe that the only way we can be protected is to have stricter laws and absolutely no suspended sentences for the convicted.

Patrick Khoza
We cannot protect ourselves from these people if they are allowed back into our streets. They need to be disciplined and that can only be done if they are taken out of society.

Barno Klue I know that if my child would ever be the victim of a paedophile, I would want that person to be delivered to the society, because that is the only way true justice would be served.

Aubrey Dennis My children are not protected by the law. I have no idea how I can protect them if these people are allowed to roam our streets as if they did nothing wrong.

Pieter Homann* The law does not protect our youth and therefore we cannot protect ourselves. I don’t believe that paedophiles can change their ways, they will probably just continue to ruin children’s lives once their suspended sentences are over. *Name changed.

Vuyiswa Khoza
A leopard doesn’t change its spots. Our youth are not protected from paedophiles by law, therefore whatever caused that person to molest or rape in the first place, will lead them to do it again. There is nothing we can do to protect ourselves.

Bianca Grobler
Once a sexual offender, always a sexual offender. The only way to protect ourselves, is by removing them from society.

Christa Myburgh The whole setup is so unfair. A paedophile takes a child’s right to childhood away. The law lets our youth down and there is nothing we can do to help.