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Anti-rapist technology (1 Viewer)

jm1234567890

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/co...o-snare-rapists/2005/09/01/1125302683893.html

Dubbed the "rape trap", trademarked "Rapex", the condom-like device bristling with internal hooks designed to snare rapists has re-ignited controversy over South Africa's alarming rape rate, even before plans for its production were announced in Western Cape this week.
why is there controversy?

EDIT:

oh, skipped a paragraph.

Some women's activists call the device regressive, putting the onus on women to address a male problem.

Charlene Smith, an anti-rape campaigner, said it "goes back to the concept of chastity belts" and would incite injured rapists to kill their victims.
 

Rafy

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Yeah this puzzled me.

It was first reported maybe a year or so ago....

Then about a week ago it was popping up again on all the news organisation's websites and on the TV.....
 
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katie_tully

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Hey! Let's stop rape by increasing the already increasing rate of AIDS!
 

Genesys

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It's quite inventive. I am South African and someone I know was recently kidnapped, repeatedly raped and murdered. If it stops things like that happening then I would support it.

In SA a women is raped something like every 20 seconds...to me that is quite shocking.
 
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katie_tully

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Yeah. Except you're missing the other problem. AIDS. By implementing this device, the women are putting themselves at more risk of contracting AIDS.
 

Genesys

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I am sorry I must have missed that. Where in the article does it mention a subsequent increased risk of contracting the disease? I don't see how exactly the two relate?
 
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katie_tully

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It's not mentioned in the article because the article is promoting the device. South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world - rape, oddly enough is one of the fastest and most effective methods of contracting or spreading the disease. By inserting this device and subsequently making the male bleed, the woman is further enhancing her chance of contracting the disease.
 

Genesys

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The virus is spread by bodily fluids...If the male rapes her and has HIV/Aids there is already a high risk of her contracting aids, regardless of whether he bleeds or not. Yes there might be a slight increase because of the blood, if in fact he does bleed, however it would act as a deterent and stop the rape, meaning that he is incapable of raping other women, therefore less women are going to be raped and contract Aids as a result. The fact that it has to be removed means that rapists can be easily identified, meaning that legal action can be taken and more of them can be brought to account.

If you are worried about increasing the risk of contracting AIDS the SA government has already done that. About 4 years ago they issued a few million condoms (in an attempt to prevent the spread of AIDS) out to the citizens for free...however someone stupidly decided to staple instructions onto the packets, meaning that they had holes in them and thousands of people contracted AIDS.

I think AIDS would be less of an issue with this, and as the high numbers of people with the disease is a direct result of girls being raped. Dealing with that problem and stopping it first would decrease the number of women contracting Aids.
 
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Ok, so it's only a little more likely to cause the spread of HIV, two thumbs up from me!

However, that still doesn't address the fact that it's highly unlikely to result in a happy ending for the would-be rape victim, unless you seriously think a few hooks in the penis is going to stop anyone dead in the tracks. The rapist will grow exceptionally angry, become violent, and the little chance that existed in first place of survival for the victim will decrease further. This idea was pioneered years ago with the "Attack tampon" and never went anywhere from there because of criticisms such as these.

Seriously, put yourself in that mindset for just a second, you attempt to rape someone and are quite surprised to discover your penis has been pretty injured as a result. Remembering of course that you're quite likely already highly aggravated, I don't think it's likely that you're going to decide to call it a night and head home to lick your words (So to speak).

Unless it's something that is 100% guaranteed to stop the attacker (As in immobilise), it's just making it an even riskier situation.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for resolving the problem, but I genuinely see this as something that would just create more problems. What about some sort of internal taser that delivers a near-fatal electric shock (And renders the attacker unconscious by doing so), instead of just mutilating a bit and pissing them off?
 

Genesys

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It's probably true that the rapist would be more likely to kill the victim, I think that is the most persuasive argument against the device.

Also I don't think it really takes into account the fact that a large percentage of said rapes are gang rapes by anything from 5-20 men. In the townships like Soweto such rapes are considered part of everyday life, sometimes they even take place in the open streets. If that is the case this device isn't really going to help much. However I think the fact that it can only be surgically removed is a start...at least it tags them, and they can be identified, then again who wants to spend tax payers money getting the device surgically removed from the rapists when South African Hospitals are already in a shocking state and barely capapable of giving proper treatment to those with near fatal gun shot and knife wounds, particularly in the poorer hospitals such as Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital where they can hardly cope.
 
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katie_tully

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YAY! 4 years ago the S.A government issued a few million condoms....4 years ago...condoms...Go the S.A government, that's a brilliant plan!
 

Genesys

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katie_tully said:
YAY! 4 years ago the S.A government issued a few million condoms....4 years ago...condoms...Go the S.A government, that's a brilliant plan!
I was pointing out how incapable the government is at dealing with the problem myself
 

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