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afrol.com, 2 November - In Kokstad, in the South African region of East Griqualand, women are protesting against the provoking release on bail of a convicted man who had raped and killed two women. Hundreds of women in Kokstad and its surroundings will march to the local police station, where they will present the list of their grievances against the alleged incompetence and misconduct of the police. The march has been triggered by the release on R1000 bail of a convicted man, who allegedly fatally stabbed to death two siblings, after raping them, this week. Both of them were found with more than 20 knife wounds. - The police allegedly did not oppose the bail and have not yet, even visited the crime scene, according to information from the local ANC. South Africa in known to have a high rate of violence against women including rape, assault and battery, and domestic violence. Over 50,000 women reported being raped last year, but police sources believe that a majority of rapes still are unreported. Entrenched patriarchal attitudes towards women are a significant factor in underreporting, according to local rights groups. Abused women have difficulty getting their cases prosecuted effectively and often are treated poorly by doctors, police, and judges when trying o do so. The Prevention of Family Violence Act of 1993 defines marital rape as a criminal offense, but the implementation process is inadequate, as the police generally are unwilling to enforce the act. The demonstrations in Kokstad thus will not be the first against "police incompetence" in cases of violence against women in South Africa. They are supposed to take place tomorrow at 11:30.
Source: Based on ANC and US
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