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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is saddened and shocked by the gang rape of a 17-year-old Soweto girl, which has been widely reported on by the media. A deeply disturbing act of violence has been perpetrated against this young woman.

We offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers to her and her family today.

It is difficult not to be overwhelmed with anger at this barbaric act. As someone who grew up in Dobsonville, I am deeply saddened that this happened in my community.

We must not forget that thousands of women and children are raped and sexually assaulted in South Africa every day. We all share in the shame of the scourge of rape in our country.

Together we need to find ways to do more to stop the sexual abuse of women and children. We need an education system that teaches our young people the right values. We need a network of social workers who identify vulnerable people and care for them. We need a criminal justice system that encourages women and children to report sexual abuse and that catches, prosecutes and convicts rapists. We need to accept that this is a societal problem that requires a response from all of us in order to resolve it.

The ultimate solution is to build communities that protect the vulnerable and foster respect for each other’s human dignity.