The Men Lets Talk Movement has condemned the suspended sentence handed to an accused from Calvinia who enaged with sexual relations with a minor.
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The Men Let's Talk Movement has expressed "deep concern and embarrassment" that an accused who was convicted of statutory rape in Calvinia was handed down "nothing more than a suspended sentence".
The offences that took place between July 2023 and September 2024 were uncovered when the 15-year-old girl from Calvinia fell pregnant and the father of the unborn child admitted that he was having sexual relations with the minor.
Convener of the Men Let's Talk Movement, Gregory Nyongane, believed the sentence undermined the fight against gender based violence and femicide (GBVF) and served to silence victims.
"We therefore demand to know which provisions were relied upon to justify such a lenient outcome. A guilty verdict in a case of statutory rape should carry a sentence that reflects the gravity of the crime, not one that trivialises it. As Men Let’s Talk, we condemn this miscarriage of justice and call for an urgent review and appeal of this sentence. Justice must be served, particularly in cases where the most vulnerable in our society are affected," he stated.