A South African inventor is seeking international donations so she can distribute 30,000 barbed condoms designed to thwart rapists ahead of the World Cup, to be held in South Africa in June. […]
“The hooks penetrate through the skin [but] do not go into the spongy tissue.”
The Rape-aXe will now be latched onto the penis and can only be safely removed by a doctor. Speaking to Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) this month, the inventor said that, as the rapist reels with surprise, there should be an opportunity for his victim to “jump up and run.” […]
The still-untested device caused a storm of controversy when it was first announced. There were many practical objections: the device might make the rapist angrier and more dangerous; several men might be involved; it doesn’t actually prevent rape; rapists might check for the device and remove it; the device might encourage anal rape; it could be misused by women to hurt men who are not raping them.
But the overriding criticism was a moral one: women should not have to adapt to what has been dubbed a ‘rape culture’ in South Africa. Lisa Vetten, of the Centre of Violence and Reconciliation in Johannesburg, said in 2007: “This is like going back to the days when women were forced to wear chastity belts. It is a terrifying thought that women are being made to adapt to rape.”
The First Post: ‘Rape-aXe’: World Cup fans get barbed condoms (NSFW: Not safe for work image on this page)
(via Grinding)