Thebe Mabanga The shocking incident in which a man allegedly raped a goat to death at the weekend is one of about 70 cases reported each year. Figures supplied by the Department of Safety and Security show the number of reported cases of bestiality between 1996 and 1999 is fairly stable, with the highest being 84 cases in 1997. Over half of the 284 cases were heard in court, with a conviction rate that varies from 48% in 1996 to 19% last year.
In the latest incident, at Bolobedu in the Northern
Province, Matome Ralepelle, a man in his mid-20s, is alleged to have found his way into a kraal, stripped naked and raped a goat. Villagers apprehended him after he attempted to flee in the nude. The goat died shortly afterwards, and according to police Inspector Moatshe Ngoepe the goat was pregnant. The cause of death has not been established.
Ralepelle faces charges of bestiality and possibly cruelty to animals, pending a decision by Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka. He was granted bail of R500 but is still in custody and will appear at the Bolobedu Magi-strate’s Court on August 29. Dr Marc Joffe, a Wits University psychology academic,
defines bestiality as “an aberration involving sexual contact with an animal; it is a disorder of intimacy” and “probably better understood as an act of anger and assertion of dominance, rather than a sexual act”. He outlines possible scenarios that could lead to such behaviour.
“The first,” Joffe says, “is when a person is psychotic and is therefore out of touch with reality, in which case he will not be held responsible for his actions.”
He points out that bestiality might manifest in people with personality disorders. For someone the age of the suspect, this could be an anti-social disorder, where a person lacks conscience, an appreciation for morality and empathy for others.
Bestiality might also be induced by pitiable social conditions. Sometimes it occurs in people of very low intelligence.
“Rape is a crime of deep disrespect. Similarly, a crime of cruelty against animals is the same disrespect,” says Louise van der Merwe, editor of Animal Voice. Van der Merwe says incidents of bestiality are rife among defenceless animals like chickens, and in abattoirs.
She cites research carried out in the United States that draws a concrete link between cruelty to animals and violence on humans. “Also,” she adds, “the fact that the legal system does not deal with cruelty to animals severely shows that society does not regard animals as sentient beings.”
Animals have legislative protection under the Animals Protection Act of 1962, which prohibits all forms of violence against animals, including bestiality. However, a legal commentator has expressed concern over the fact that they are perceived as objects and therefore do not enjoy rights.
He has called for a serious rethink on the tendency to protect animals “in order to protect people’s feelings, and not the animals themselves”, noting how, before the new Constitution came into effect, it was very difficult for an individual without a direct interest in the animal’s well- being – for example, an owner – to seek protection for an animal under threat. Meanwhile, Sapa reported this week that in England a 32- year-old Romanian refugee, Gabriel Zarafu, was on Wednesday found guilty of having sex with two Shetland ponies. The court handed down a 14-month sentence but said the man had served the time while on remand pending trial and will be deported. Zarafu was trapped by undercover police using specialist night-vision equipment and a helicopter when they launched a surveillance operation in November last year after the two Shetland ponies – Tiny and Topsy – were found to have been interfered with in a field in South Gloucestershire.
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