Anti-rape condom aims to stop attacks KLEINMOND, South Africa (Rheuters) - A South African inventor unveiled a new anti-rape female condom on Wednesday that hooks onto an attacker's penis and aims to cut one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world. "Nothing has ever been done to help a woman so that she does not get raped and I thought it was high time," Sonette Ehlers, 57, said of the "rapex," a device worn like a tampon that has sparked controversy in a country used to daily reports of violent crime. Police statistics show more than 50,000 rapes are reported every year, while experts say the real figure could be four times that as they say most rapes of acquaintances or children are never reported. Ehlers said the "rapex" hooks onto the rapist's skin, allowing the victim time to escape and helping to identify perpetrators. "He will obviously be too pre-occupied at this stage," she told reporters in Kleinmond, a small holiday village about 100km (60 miles) east of Cape Town. "I promise you he is going to be too sore. He will go straight to hospital." The device, made of latex and held firm by shafts of sharp barbs, can only be removed from the man through surgery which will alert hospital staff, and ultimately, the police, she said. It also reduces the chances of a woman falling pregnant or contracting AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases from the attacker by acting in the same way as a female condom. South Africa has more people with HIV/AIDS than any other country, with one in nine of its 45 million population infected. Ehlers, who showed off a prototype on Wednesday, said women had tried it for comfort and it had been tested on a plastic male model but not yet on a live man. Production was planned to start next year. But the "rapex" has raised fears amongst anti-rape activists that it could escalate violence against women. "If a victim is wearing such a device it may enrage the attacker further and possibly result in more harm being caused," said Sam Waterhouse, advocacy coordinator for Rape Crisis. Other critics say the condom is medieval and barbaric -- an accusation Ehlers says should be directed rather at the act of rape. "This is not about vengeance ... but the deed, that is what I hate," she said. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050901/od_nm/safrica_rape_dc
man...interesting idea...and its sad to see what is happening to women in africa....an idea for the greater good, but wil it work?....and what about these idiot critcs saying..."the condom is medieval and barbaric"...and raping a woman isn't worse?....ignorant idiots....
you really cant tell how people will react to this. however i think; like the article states, there would be escalated violence. i can think of several ways rapist can get around this, and it isnt very nice.
i find the concept of the idea good, but the actual product is really.. stupid what woman in their right mind would walk around with a rape tampon in their vagina 24/7? i mean really, women are better off with mace.
ive seen it on the news, or some other program. its basically a flexable tub with spikes on the inside.
whoa.. thats crazy. I dont think it would cause more violence when a rapist falls into this trap tho. Think about it, imagine getting stabbed by spikes and not just any body part but your PENIS~!! i'd be lying on the ground whimpering in pain lol.
haha once the vicitm is trapped to the person then what? wouldnt he hold u hostage, plus the mass production of these things will just be easily resolved by having the rapist to remove the condom before engaging a woman...
hell i see more violence, if u get kicked in the balls u wanna get up and kick the poop out of the person who did it... just ur balls are sore and walken kinda hurts lol but a cut to ur wang wont stop u from chasen and beaten the shiz out of the person who made u cut ur wang Oo... oh and i do think it wont help cause if i know women are walken around with a trap in there punni imma stick it in a differnt hole which they wont like even more lol
imagine your gf wearing one and she forgets to tell you.....ouch....there goes your family jewels...and even worst now everyone would know about it once you head to the hospital!!!
Best protection is prevention. Dont go out by yourself, avoid dark alleys, be out in public places, dont go out at night, or stay in well lit places. And if law permits it... get some fierarms training and carry a firearm. In south africa it is not uncommon to have people carry firearms for self defence.
I think the act of rape will result into murder, the rapist will most likely have the victim unconscience to check for the condom and if discover imagine the rage that will be unleash on the victim. The concept is good at least they are trying but I think they are playing with fire, victim death rate will esculate. It is just what I think might happen, hope I am wrong.
