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| Africa Subsaharan |
| S.Africa: European Official Gang Raped in Durban, 11 Tourists Mugged |
| 2006-12-09 |
| Business as usual. HT African Crisis. A visiting European swimming official has been gang-raped near the Durban beachfront paddling pools while her male companion, also a tourist, was held down. The latest gang-rape came just a day after Durban unveiled its beefed up holiday safety programme. The shocking attack on Wednesday was at the Lower Marine Parade children’s paddling pools, the scene of the gang rape of three teenagers on December 16, the Day of Reconciliation, last year. The victim, whose age is unknown, was in town with her team which was competing in this week’s International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Swimming World Championships at the King’s Park Aquatic Centre. She is not believed to be disabled. Reliable sources said that the woman, who was staying in a beachfront hotel, decided to go for a walk on the beach with a male swimming official from another country. It was just before 1am when the unsuspecting couple were attacked by four young men. “The man was held down while she was gang-raped,” a source said. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is understood to have returned to the championships on Thursday. Four suspects have been arrested, SAPS provincial spokeswoman, Senior Superintendant Phindile Hadebe confirmed last night. A source in the hospitality industry described the incident as outrageous, but wondered why the couple had ignored clear safety tips in their hotel. Said another: “This is horrifying, but what were they thinking going for a walk at that time of night?” She was worried that if the suspects were “young men” they would be released from custody and be back on the streets to attack again. “If the authorities got rid of the street children and vagrants along the beachfront, then surely those still hanging around have to be criminals and the police could act. Often the police drive past criminals, believing them to be street children and vagrants.” The attack comes at a time when South Africa is observing 16 days of activism against the abuse of women and children and follows the recent mugging of 11 cruise liner passengers at Durban’s North Beach. Crime came under the spotlight during the recent provincial tourism conference in Durban, when delegates were told that the city had the most significant tourism development potential in the country – but also the biggest safety and security problem. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #12 Not just South Africa, tu3031. When Mr. Wife went down to Caracas on a business trip a few years ago, the hotel doorman called a cab to take him to the pub across the street, as it was deemed unsafe for gringos to walk across the street without an armed guard... a considerable change from a decade earlier, when a friend of ours happily wandered the streets doing errands while his wife worked at the office (he was a trailing husband, and thoroughly enjoyed it the opportunities that entailed) with only a loaded pistol in his pocket. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-12-09 22:30 |
| #11 The attack comes at a time when South Africa is observing 16 days of activism against the abuse of women and children and follows the recent mugging of 11 cruise liner passengers at DurbanÂ’s North Beach. So, I guess they remain inactive the other 349 days of the year? Jeebus, SA sounds more and more like ZimBOBwe every day. |
| Posted by: BA 2006-12-09 22:02 |
| #10 So I guess if I'm insane enough to go to South Africa someday, I should just stay in the hotel... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-12-09 21:08 |
| #9 A source in the hospitality industry described the incident as outrageous, but wondered why the couple had ignored clear safety tips in their hotel. Clausal oxymoron, I guess. It's getting to be about time to vacate the country if you have more than three functional neurons. Now I'm just trying to figure out which place would be least bad to flee to. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-09 21:04 |
| #8 With the new batch of ANC cadre winning the elections, SA will be Zimbabwe South in about in 3 years. The ANC is already talking about gangstering the white-held farms, just like Mugabe did. The whole of southern and central Africa is just a write-off, anymore. And you are safer vacationing in Beruit, than in Joburg : Hizb'allah protects tourists because of the jobs and money they bring in. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2006-12-09 19:20 |
| #7 Foot-ball, a gentleman's game, played by thugs. (Rugby, a thug's game, played by Gentlemen). Phok phoot-ball, Johanna, I aint gonna play (Sun City, lol!), and will not pay a red cent to lively up/ptomote this shite. Why on earth anyone go to this place? Full of Paleo wanna-bes, from about 700 years ago. |
| Posted by: Sloluque Omairt2392 2006-12-09 18:28 |
| #6 I'm not sure I'd go to Africa on a bet. I'll take Belize instead. |
| Posted by: FOTSGreg 2006-12-09 18:25 |
| #5 It's definitely one of the more likely spots to get raped, and it also has a high HIV infection rate. I've wanted to go to South Africa. I heard it was beautiful. However....I think I'd rather go somewhere else safer, thankyouverymuch. |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2006-12-09 18:02 |
| #4 Good luck with the World Cup. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2006-12-09 16:52 |
| #3 the scene of the gang rape of three teenagers on December 16, the Day of Reconciliation I'd hate to see what happens on their "Day of Revenge". “This is horrifying, but what were they thinking going for a walk at that time of night?” The voice of reason. “If the authorities got rid of the street children and vagrants along the beachfront, then surely those still hanging around have to be criminals and the police could act. Often the police drive past criminals, believing them to be street children and vagrants.” The voice of eliteism. (i.e., "Keep that riff-raff away from the water's edge.) Anyone idiotic enough to walk about at one o'clock in the morning in a crime-ridden nation is begging for disaster. I can only suppose that eliteists refuse to consider such an indecent notion as self-responsibility. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-12-09 16:27 |
| #2 “This is horrifying, but what were they thinking going for a walk at that time of night?” Hmm... that South Africa was a 'civilized' place? Obviously they were wrong. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-12-09 16:01 |
| #1 Ummm, I believe South Africa is a world leader in the category of .... rape. Sad, very sad. |
| Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden 2006-12-09 15:27 |