Various topics, including human trafficking, child pornography and abuse and the sexual exploitation of children, were scrutinized during a special dinner hosted by the Louis Trichardt Agora Club as part of an awareness campaign.

During this event, which was held at Mountain Inn last Wednesday (28/09), it became clear that pornography, especially, is a massive problem that affects everyone.

Speakers Fiona Nicolson from the Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme (TVEP) and Captain Danelé Fourie from the Makhado Police’s Child Protection Unit’s presentations hit home with the audience. Other speakers from the University of Venda included Annette Lansink, dean of the School of Law, and part-time lecturer of the Department of Public Law Crystal Nyathi-Mokoena.

First in line was Lansink, who gave a regional and global presentation on human trafficking - an industry that nets between $7 and $10 billion a year, mainly because, says Lansink, it is a very difficult crime to fight. Most victims are also afraid to come forward with further information because they are afraid that they might be deported.

In South Africa, for example, there have been only 22 human trafficking prosecutions this year. This includes children. Girls are mainly sold as sex slaves, while the boys are used to beg for money on the streets as an income. They are mainly lured with the promise of work.

Nicolson´s presentation revealed the grim stories of domestic violence, sexual abuse and rape that they have to deal with daily, sometimes with multiple cases on the same day. On average, 45 rape cases and 120 domestic violence cases are reported to the TVEP centre per month. Audience members were shocked when they learned that one of these cases included a nine-year-old rapist, who also had a sexually transmitted disease.

“Cases like these can be attributed to a lack of proper counselling,” explained Nicolson. She said that despite the fact that people were talking more and more about rape, child pornography and abuse, people were still not as outraged as they should be. She called for a zero-tolerance approach against all forms of violence and abuse.

"If you suspect that a child is abused and you do nothing about it, you are breaking the law,” Nicolson said.

Nicolson’s message was also echoed by Fourie when she urged all community members to stand together and fight pornography, one of the main catalysts that give rise to the sexual abuse of women and children.

“Once you get sucked into porn, it is like a disease that takes over your whole mindset,” said Fourie, “and by means of cellphones we have also given our children equipment to produce and distribute porn.” Fourie gave an explanation of the different roleplayers who play a part in a criminal case such as rape or sexual abuse. “We deal with child protection, family violence and sexual offences, with the help of social workers and state prosecutors.”

Agora President Diane Bannatyne thanked the community on behalf of all the organizers of the event for their support of the dinner. As a result of the dinner, they managed to collect R4 000 for the TVEP centre and R700 for the Child Protection Unit by means of pledges. They also received pledges of toys, carpets, clothes, curtains and material, as well as website services and legal representation pledges. Bannatyne also explained that Agora´s long-term goal is the establishment of a crisis centre for victims in Louis Trichardt and surrounding areas, involving different roleplayers such as social workers, counsellors and the police.