CARNAL NATION

Disturbing video interviews with victims from the Guardian

South Africa: The phenomena of "Corrective Rape," where a person, typically a lesbian, is raped to 'correct' their sexual orientation is on the rise in South Africa with as many as ten new cases reported (and many more unreported) each week. A story on Change.org says that despite several high-profile cases, including the rape and murder of Eudy Simelane—national female soccer star, the authorities are not prioritizing the crime. A statement released by South Africa's national prosecuting authority said, "While hate crimes – especially of a sexual nature – are rife, it is not something that the South African government has prioritised as a specific project." Despite international publicity, only two cases have made it to the courts, and there has only been one conviction.

Sharon Cox from the gay rights organization Traingle told the BBC that,  "The thinking is, all it takes is one good man to cure you of being a lesbian."  In a report earlier this year, the charity Actionaid spoke to 23-year-old Zakhe, who had two friends raped and killed and was threatened with rape herself. "They tell me that they will kill me, they will rape me and after raping me I will become a girl. I will become a straight girl," she said.

South Africa, which has one of the highest sexual violence rates in the world, has more than 54,000 reported cases of rape each year.  Amongst some young men, it has almost become a game. There is even a term for the leader, who is known as the "marhasimani."   "A marhasimani is someone who goes to the club, buys a woman a few beers, then with his friends, he would take that woman and go away and have sex with her," one young man told the BBC on the understanding of anonymity.

"It's not about her, we bought her drinks, you know how drinks are expensive," says one of a group of young men interviewed,

"We can't say it's gang rape because, OK, I know sometimes we have to drug the girl and everything, but it does not happen all the time," says another.

"Most of the time when it does happen, the girl is taking some drinks, but she is quite aware of what is happening."

Coming on the heels of the hate crime murders in Tel Aviv, this report is particularly disturbing and illustrates just how far civil and women's rights in the world have yet to go.