Week-Old Infant Raped in South Africa; Youngest Child in Series of Rapes Linked to AIDS Virgin Myth
Police are investigating the rape of a one-week-old South African baby girl, the youngest child ever to be raped in the country, Reuters/Toronto Star reports. The attack occurred on Sunday in the city of Kwaminya in KwaZulu-Natal province. The infant is seriously injured but is in stable condition, Police Superintendent Lawrence Zondi said. It is not known who committed the rape. The incident is the latest in a "spate of child rapes fueled by the myth that sex with a virgin" can cure HIV/AIDS, Reuters/Toronto Star reports. On Friday, 23-year-old David Potse was sentenced to life in prison for raping a nine-month-old infant. Some 21,000 cases of child rape were reported to South African police last year, and experts believe that some of the rapists are HIV-positive and trying to cure themselves of the disease (Reuters/Toronto Star, 7/31).
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
