Journalist RACHELLE BREED takes an in-depth look into the child sex exploitation trade
PROSECUTORS, journalists, police, social workers and counsellors can substantiate the alarmingly high number of reported cases in Zululand of neglect, rape, violation and exploitation of children by their own parents, close family members or people whom they know well.
The abuse and incest is not limited to any specific language, culture or income level.
In fact, according to a local teacher, many cases occur in middle-class families and the perpetrator is a person of ‘good standing’ in the community.
This may be because such cases are more likely to be reported by a child to someone at school or a friend, or because teachers are more likely to pick up tell-tale signs with fewer children in class and when abject poverty and neglect are not the norm.
Millions of children from impoverished, rural communities will however not be on the radar at all, because their reality is just-day-to-day survival.
Mothers are also known to protect the perpetrator when he is the family breadwinner or paying maintenance.
Children will also often report that they were raped and molested over a period of time in return for small change or sweets.
According to research by the South African Law Reform Commission into the creation and distribution of child abuse images, there are documented accounts of parents who encourage their children to participate in sexual exploitation for material gain.
It is hardly imaginable that any parent could willfully profit from their child’s misery, humiliation and abuse, but research indicate that incest and exploitation by parents and others, often happen over many generations of the same family.
Alcohol, drug abuse and poor family support are also major factors which keeps an evil cycle going.
Poverty factor
With poverty, unemployment and natural disasters bringing more families to the brink of starvation, the trap of the illicit and horrific trade-off for income looms menacingly.
A 2009 report by Canadian-based KINSA, exposed African countries which use peer-to-peer technology to trade images of pre-pubescent children being sexually assaulted.
In 10 African countries, more than 154 437 child abuse images were shared online, involving 9 902 IP addresses.
Of these, a staggering 137 373 child abuse images were being traded in South Africa, involving 7 802 IP addresses.
UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) estimates that the Internet harbours more than four million websites featuring sexually exploited minors and the production and distribution of child pornography generates up to $20-billion a year globally.
The SA Law Reform Commission states that African countries are reported to be safe havens for child sex tourism, child pornography and ‘chicken hawking’- a term coined by child exploiters to refer to online targeting and grooming of children through social networking sites and chat rooms for offline sexual abuse and exploitation.
An international survey found most African children do not enjoy minimum protection and assurance of emotional, psychological and physical well-being from their governments.
South Africa was the only African State meeting the requirements for an appropriate and effective response to the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
But though the legislation are in place, the practical implementation and enforcement often fall far short.
