PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - While Plettenberg Bay is known as a tranquil holiday destination, beneath the peaceful façade a spate of sexual abuse of children has been plaguing the area.
Over the past two weeks no fewer than six such cases appeared on court roles, and over the past few years, many more have gone through the justice system.
The latest cases include the conviction and sentencing of Mike Wise on 24 January on charges relating to touching a young girl's private parts in 2017. Others include the rape of a child with special needs, the rape of a man's stepdaughter, the rape of a 10-year-old girl, the rape of a six-year-old girl, and the alleged sexual assault of a young girl.
No shortage of examples
Many others have made headlines too, including the case of William Beale, who pleaded guilty to 18 644 charges of child pornography possession and was sentenced to 15 years behind bars in 2017.
Earlier, in 2015, Lulama Candani was sentenced to 20 years behind bars after raping and killing eight-year-old Sesona Bhayibihle.
But these crimes are not a new trend.
In 2009, Geoffrey Wolhuter was convicted for indecently assaulting homeless street children in exchange for food and gifts.
Murder of six-year-old
Although almost a decade has passed, the Plett community is still reeling after the molestation and murder of six-year-old Steven Siebert over Christmas in 2005. For these crimes, Theunis Olivier was sentenced to life imprisonment in August 2007.
Experts believe there are many contributing factors to this phenomenon.
'Abusers are everywhere'
"Child sexual abusers are everywhere. In fact, they can be our most trusted family members and friends, teachers or neighbours," says Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) Western Cape spokesperson Joanne Barrett.
She believes the lack of a dedicated family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit in Plettenberg Bay possibly contributes to the high local numbers. "Sadly our closest unit is in George. Police are just not close enough to deal with the trauma immediately and perpetrators know this," Barrett says.
'Difficult to pinpoint'
Anti-child abuse organisation Green Hearts spokesperson Janet Harding believes unemployment possibly plays a role as it can result in antisocial behaviour, which includes substance abuse and social misconduct.
She says another possible reason for all these cases coming to the fore could the efforts around creating awareness about these crimes. "The efforts of the volunteers in the VEP (victim empowerment programme) rooms, and the commitment of the officers of the FCS units must never be downplayed. We have presented the protective behaviours programme in almost all the primary schools in Bitou so children realise their value and that saying no is their right."
'It is a global issue'
Renowned women and children's rights activist Lesley Ann Foster has said before that although she had noticed the prevalence of sex crimes against children in the Plett area, sexual crimes against children is not a Garden Route problem or even a South African problem.
"It is a global issue and experts are still trying to figure out why people do this," Foster says, adding that a sense of power and control on the part of the perpetrator is the biggest contributor to sex crimes.
"It is not about sex, it is about power and control over someone. You will also find that in many cases it is professionals like doctors and teachers who are the perpetrators."
Read a related article: Why sex predators prowl still baffles
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