Tag: sexual offences act

The evolution of the Sexual Offences Act in South Africa, in effect for 10 years

South Africa has some of the most progressive legislation regarding sexual violence today. But this wasn’t always the case.

PRESS RELEASE: SA Constitutional Court to hear case regarding removal of 20 year statute of limitations for sexual offences that do not include rape

On 14 November the Constitutional Court will hear the case seeking confirmation of the South Gauteng High Court judgment handed down on the 19 June by Acting Judge Hartford in the matter between Levenstein (and 7 others) and Sidney Frankel, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, and the Director of Public Prosecutions, (Case 29573/2016). The judgement struck down section 18 of the Criminal Procedure Act as unconstitutional. The section barred the right to prosecute all sexual offences, other than rape, after a period of 20 years after the offence has been perpetrated.

Con court ruling against ‘teen sex’ law protects rape survivors’ rights

Last week’s Constitutional Court ruling decriminalising consensual sexual relationships between teens was met with moralising outrage across the country. Sensationalist media fanned the flames of indignation by failing to contextualise the law’s effect on teen sexual relations – including rape.

Under the impugned sections 15 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act (SOA) teenage rape survivors, especially girls, run the risk of being criminally charged for being raped.

East London cops can’t deal with rape

By MICHELLE SOLOMON and ZIPO-ZENKOSI NCOKAZI MANY police officers in the East London policing area do not know how to respond to rape cases, [an] investigation revealed. The investigation also found that a few did not appear to know the legal definition of rape. This week, [we] visited seven East London police stations and presented… Read More ›

What is ‘rape’? It’s not as simple as you think. *TW*

I have had a couple of requests to define what rape is, so I wrote this up. This definition is as described by the Sexual Offences Act (SOA), including some of my own hypothetical examples. [TRIGGER WARNING for descriptions of rape.]

The rights of rape survivors: access to free PEP

The 2007 Sexual Offences Act (SOA) requires that certain services be made available to rape survivors. Among these services, survivors of oral, anal and vaginal rape are entitled to receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), a 28-day course of antiretrovirals for the prevention of HIV infection. This must be provided to survivors – at state expense – when they… Read More ›