AfriForum released a report on 26 June 2014 in which the brutality of farm murders is depicted. The International Rehabilitation Council for Victims of Torture has also given AfriForum the undertaking that they will study the report. The report was released today, as it’s the day which has been proclaimed by the United Nations as International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
The Council is situated in Denmark and is affiliated with the UN. It is an umbrella organisation consisting of 144 independent rehabilitation bodies in over 70 countries.
The report has over 30 pages and was compiled with the expert assistance of Lorraine Claasen, a criminologist specialising in farm murders. It contains a series of case studies in which the torture of victims of farm murders are portrayed.
The report was submitted to the office of the newly appointed Minister of Police together with a petition list for the prioritising of farm murders in hard copy format, consisting of more than 60 000 names.
AfriForum was warmly received by the Office of the Minister, and the spokesperson in the Office indicated that the Minister will study the report and that they will schedule a follow-up meeting with the Minister for future cooperation with AfriForum as well as to effectuate a possible counter-strategy.
Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum said that this action is a continuation of the intensified campaign of the organisation for the prioritising of farm murders.
“Farm murders are exceptionally cruel. Despite that, government is greatly in denial regarding the true extent of the problem. The President, last week, said that the agriculture community should create one million jobs in the years to follow, but government ignores the fact that those employers are tortured and murdered.”
Victims of farm attacks, of which some were tortured, were present when the report was released.
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