Parliamentary question - E-3053/2009Parliamentary question
E-3053/2009

Rape of lesbian women in South Africa

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3053/09
by Jules Maaten (ALDE) and Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (ALDE)
to the Commission

1. Is the Commission aware of the report recently published by ActionAid, supported by the South African Human Rights Commission, on the growing number of rapes and assaults on lesbians in South Africa, intended to ‘cure’ them of their sexual orientation? If not, will the Council and Commission take note of it? For further information, see http://www.actionaid.org/main.aspx?PageID=1315

2. What view does the Commission take of this, and particularly of the reluctance of the South African judicial system and police to take action against it?

3. Will the Commission take action and thus draw attention to these practices in unambiguously condemnatory terms? If not, why not?

4. Can the Commission indicate whether it is willing to include material on the subject in the numerous information programmes carried out by the Commission delegation in South Africa? If not, why not?

OJ C 189, 13/07/2010