International Day Against Torture: AfriForum involves International Council against Torture in efforts to eradicate farm attacks

Human rights organisation AfriForum will release a report tomorrow, 26 June 2014, highlighting the brutality of farm murders and attacks in South Africa.  This is done as a part of AfriForum’s ongoing campaign against this particular category of violent crime in the country.

It was decided to release the report on the 26^th of June, as the United Nations has designated this date to be the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

The International Rehabilitation Council for Victims of Torture (IRCT) has also undertaken to study AfriForum’s report.  The IRCT is based in Denmark and is affiliated with the UN.  It is an umbrella organisation consisting of 144 independent rehabilitation bodies in more than 70 countries.

The report comprises more than 30 pages and was compiled with the expert assistance of a criminologist specialising in farm murders.  It contains a series of case studies in which the torture of victims of farm attacks and murders are analysed.

The report will also be submitted to the office of the newly appointed Minister of Police together with a petition asking for the prioritising of farm murders.  It was signed by 60 000 people.  The office of the Minister has confirmed that it will meet the AfriForum delegation.

Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, said that this action is a continuation of the intensified campaign for the prioritising of farm murders and attacks.  “These crimes often involve high levels of brutality.  Despite that, Government is greatly in denial regarding the true extent of the problem.  The President, in the past week, said that the agriculture community should create one million jobs in the next few years, but Government ignores the fact that many of those employers and their employees are tortured and murdered.”

Various victims of farm attacks, of which some were tortured, will be present when the report is released.