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“It would be helpful to have hate crime legislation because it would focus the police minds when investigating, prosecutors when prosecuting, judges when passing sentences,” said Kerry Williams, partner at law firm Webber Wentzel. “And the legislature could give some guidance in how to handle these crimes.” 

Williams told the conference on crime reduction that the perpetrators of hate crimes could be prosecuted using common law, and judges could recognise the aspect of hate when passing judgment on these cases.

She said legislation would give added focus and stipulate minimum sentences for hate crimes.

In hate crimes, the perpetrator selects his or her victim for some discriminatory reason such as race, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation.

Juan Nel, director of the centre for applied psychology at Unisa, said hate crimes were not recognised in South Africa.

“Unless they become a recognised crime category, they can’t be recorded at police station level. Without it being recorded as such, it is very difficult to get a sense of what the prevalence would be. Once we have it as a recorded category... you can get a sense as to how often it happens, to whom it happens and where it happens.”  

He said recording the crime would also help research efforts aimed at understanding the nature and impact of the crimes.

Nel said the priority that was put on hate crimes was not based on prevalence, but their impact.

“We believe it extends beyond the individual, it also affects the community. It also about the psychological impact that it has: the fear, the anger that it might create, and sometimes it has [a] ripple effect.” 

He said the Hate Crimes Working Group, in partnership with other civic organisations, had identified 450 hate crimes in five provinces since 2005.

These were KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo and Eastern Cape.

The crimes consisted of 150 lesbian gay bisexual trans-gender intersex cases, 150 foreign national cases and 150 other cases.

The conference is hosted by the Institute For Security Studies and will end on Friday.

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Sun May 26 10:20:02 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 25, 2012

RobinX

And it starts right here, with hate-speech, rampant racial intolerance, pervasive homophobia and xenophobia. Basically with the manner in which readers seem to be incapable of tolerating anything that does not conform to the small world defined by their particular obsessions, whether these be religious, "traditional" or just plain obtuse. I am constantly amazed by the extremes demonstrated by supposedly decent people as a result of self-imposed and determined ignorance.
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Oct 25, 2012

Voetzek

I see blacks going to jail here, because with due respect we are racist with capital letter RRRRRRRRRR
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Oct 25, 2012

MophemeKoPitori

I Hate you RobinX and like RobinHH. Catch me if you can
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Oct 25, 2012

RobinX

Voetzek> With respect, "isms" know no racial boundaries, they are equal opportunity zones.
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Oct 25, 2012

RobinX

Mopheme: Nah> I couldn't be bothered relating to halfwits and hate-mongers. Life's just too short. Have a pleasant evening, benighted as you may be. Really that was completely uncalled for, and rather idiotic, all in all.
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Oct 25, 2012

MophemeKoPitori

At least you also hate me @RobinX
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Oct 25, 2012

MsKinkyakaKamaSutra

In hate crimes, the perpetrator selects his or her victim for some discriminatory reason such as race, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation.
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This is will be good for the future of our country. We do not need bigots

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Oct 25, 2012

RVP

RACISM WILL NEVER DIE.....LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT PEOPLE!!!!!
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Oct 25, 2012

ILLUMINATED

I'm not surprised...I sense that the laws will target Christians mostly for hate crimes. So the laws will actually form a way of gagging them so as Satan and his henchmen can get their way. Reminds me of the Dark Ages, No human law or death threat kept the likes of John Huss, Jerome, Martin Luther etc. from uttering the TRUTH. History repeats itself.
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Oct 25, 2012

Galfrend

it will never end.we must learn to tolerate each other.

But if you ha te something,you h ate it, you cant control how you feel..
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