Hon Deputy Speaker, the past several weeks have been absolutely terrible for the entire country. The rape and mutilation of 17- year-old Anene Booysen, who was found disembowelled at a construction site in Bredasdorp, has scarred the South African society. This gruesome act brought back memories of a number of high-profile infant rapes 12 years ago that have also scarred the South African society.
In 2001, a nine-month-old baby was raped by six men aged between 24 and 66; a four-year-old girl died after being raped by her father; and a 14-month- old girl was raped by her two uncles. In February 2002, an eight-month-old infant was reportedly gang-raped by four men. The infant's injuries were so brutal that she required extensive reconstructive surgery to rebuild urinary, genital, abdominal or tracheal systems. One has been charged, but the outrage that we feel is nothing compared with the physical and psychological suffering of the victims.
Women's rights are human rights. Our Constitution has provided women with various legal developments in an attempt to protect women in the areas of domestic violence and sexual offences. In spite of these mechanisms, it was recently reported that South Africa is a leader in violence against women. The findings of this study by the Medical Research Council on Gender and Health Research Unit supports the Interpol study that revealed that South Africa leads the world in rapes.
Official statistics show that around 65 000 sexual offences were committed in South Africa last year alone. Contrary to what the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development perceives as a decrease in sexual offences, rape statistics have gone up instead of down over the past five years. In 2006, there were 55 000 reported rape cases. There are an estimated 450 000 rape cases that go unreported.
If one were to use the "test for civilization", espoused in the 1954 Women's Charter and Aims, these statistics in relation to violence against women indicate that South Africa would still not be considered a civilised nation.
According to the 1999 to 2009 longitudinal study conducted by a Medical Research Council team, South Africa is at five times the global rate of female homicides overall. One in every four women in South Africa is regularly battered by her husband, partner or boyfriend.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development also estimates that one out of every four women in South Africa is a survivor of domestic violence. At least one woman is killed every six days by her male partner, and one in every six women is murdered by her male intimate. About 41% of female homicides are perpetrated by the woman's spouse or partner. These figures indicate that just under half of all the women killed in South Africa lose their lives at the hands of the men who they know, and who are supposed to love them.
On intimate partners' violence, a global study is going to come out very soon and South Africa is going to be one of the leaders. How do we address the rape and femicide pandemic? The United Nation's Human Rights Council's Chief, Navi Pillay, expressed her shock at the rape and murder of Anene, and said, and I quote:
While welcoming strong reactions from President Jacob Zuma ... it should not have taken this particularly atrocious case ... to underline the urgent need for a more thorough response across the whole spectrum of South African society to tackle the root causes of this pandemic of sexual violence.
Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]