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Rape is defined in section 2 of the Penal Code
(Admendment Act) No. 5 of 1998, It read as follows:
“Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of
another person, or who causes penetration of a sexual organ or
instrument, of whatever nature, into another person for the purpose of
sexual gratification, or who causes the penetration of another
person’s sexual organ into his or her person, without the consent of
such other person or with such other person’s consent if the consent
is obtained by force or means of threats or intimidation of any kind, by
means of false pretences as to the nature of the act, or in the case of
a married person that person’s spouse, is guilty of the offence termed
rape.”
This is the legal definition of rape.
Rape beyond legalities can be seen as being on a
continuum which sees rape as an act of violence against women. That is
men using physical and sexual violence to maintain control and assert
power over women.
The continuum looks as follows:
Jokes….verbal
threats/harassment…..physical threats/harassment………rape…….rape-murder
It first begins with what may appear as innocent
comments but this continues and increases to rude comments directed
towards women, harassing women sexually and physically and then rape
which could ultimately lead to murder.
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