Johannesburg - The brutal rape and murder of four-year-old Bokgabo Poo has again highlighted the scourge of violence women and children face in the country.
Forensic psychiatrist, Dr Larissa Panieri-Peter, who was speaking during an interview on Cape Talk with John Maytham, attempted to help South Africans get in the mind of an alleged child killer, rapist and abuser.
She said there were many reasons why people acted without a conscience.
“Sometimes, that is because they don't have one,” she said.
Panieri-Peter broke down the psychology of a rapist and murderer.
“Rape in itself is a crime about power, inequality and domination, entitlement and possession. It is not a crime of mental illness,” she said.
Panieri-Peter further emphasised that other societal issues such as the high levels of substance abuse and the history of violence and brutality, as well as the situations and complexities under which so many people live have played a huge part in fuelling the ongoing gender-based violence (GBV).
The recent brutal killing of four-year-old Bokgabo Poo has once again highlighted the war against women and children in the country.
The young girl child was raped, murdered, mutilated and buried in a shallow grave, allegedly by 30-year-old Ntokozo Zikhali who was out on bail while facing another charge of raping a nine-year-old girl.
Bokgabo became a statistic, she was yet another child who was either raped, murdered or assaulted.
According to the most recent crime stats shared by the South African Police Service, they reveal shocking figures of crimes against children younger than 18 between April - June 2022:
– 46.4% increase for the murder of children
– 27.5% increase in attempted murder
– 58.4% increase in assaults resulting in grievous bodily harm
Minister of Police Bheki Cele is expected to release Q2 (July - September) crime stats soon.
A statement released by UNICEF South Africa said: “As we go about our lives today, at least another three children would have had theirs violently cut short and a further 18 will be recovering from the physical and mental health impact of suffering grievous bodily harm.
“We continue to be in a race against time to protect children and women’s lives. The tragedy is that being at home, the space where children and women should be the safest, is also the most dangerous.”
The rape and murder of children is a big part of the ongoing GBV pandemic in SA and has resulted in tragic consequences for individuals, families, communities and society at large which has had to tackle these issues and also deal with the aftermath of these actions.
“UNICEF South Africa states once again that children cannot live their lives in fear, they have the right to be safe, cared for and nurtured at all times.” reads part of the UNICEF statement.
IOL