Activist advocates for conversations on intersection of power and abuse

The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children has highlighted the need for conversations about sexual abuse to be had more openly in order to empower victims to speak out, especially when the abuser is in a powerful position.

The NPO’s Director, Dr Shaheda Omar, says while such conversations are not easy, they are necessary to help victims understand that it’s never their fault to fall prey to abusers.

Dr Omar was reacting to the case of a former security guard at a school in Empangeni KwaZulu-Natal, who was sentenced to life and 10 years behind bars for the rape and sexual assault of two learners aged 8 and 9 between 2021 and 2022.

The matter was only reported to authorities after one of the victims told their mother about the rapes and how he had threatened to kill the girls if they told anyone.

While in another case, a Cape Town lawyer, Theo Hartzenberg, was recently found guilty on various charges, including sexually exploiting underage boys who live on the streets and paying them R100 for sexual acts or R50 when they couldn’t get an erection.

The social justice activist has described these men’s actions as calculated behaviour.

Dr Omar says such people know that vulnerable members of society hardly speak out, especially when they use money as a coercive tactic to get what they want.

She says they also get in the head of the victim by making them believe that no one will believe them due to their social status or position.

The clinical director says conversations on the intersection of power and abuse will educate everyone on where to go to get help should they ever fall victim to such people.