Children in Prison in South Africa - Community Law Centre

of 24, sometimes without even a television to watch(televisions rotate from cell to cell) encouraged sodomyamongst the boys. This may be both consensual andforced.At Pietersburg Prison, although it was admitted thatsexual assault was prevalent, only one of the boysinterviewed mentioned this. The researcher atWellington prison in the Transkei observed thatembarrassment may be one of the reasons why theboys would not admit to being sodomised.may be inadequate. At this prison, there are no regularsearches. Although the warders record that they makerounds every half hour, one of the warders interviewedindicated non-verbally that this might not happen asregularly as claimed. Again at this prison, the childrensaid there were no gangs or abuse. However,-it was inthis prison that researchers noted that it was 'obviousfrom body language' that they did not feel free to talkand were withholding information.At Malmesbury, the authorities said that most of theproblems are caused by the adult prisoners and thatthere are not many cases of sodomy. The juvenilesare, however, locked up early to avoid their mixingwith the adults. At St Albans, the warders said thatthere are sometimes older children in the juvenilesection who pretend to be younger than they are.The warders say it is difficult to 'rehabilitate' them"because you have these adults intimidating you anddaring you to touch them".. Consensual sodomyAt Westville Youth Centre, the authorities said thatthere had been frequent reports of sodomy before1994 - about five a day - but now they could find no -one willing to' comment on it. The children say it doesnot happen. The social workers say that it does, butnot often. The medical staff say that there is sodomy,but it is not as frequent as in the adult sections. TheHead of the Youth Section, however, had recordedthe activities of gangs and their practice of makingthe younger or prettier boys into 'wyvies' (little wives).At Kroonstad, researchers were told that the boys •don't rape each other but "on Saturdays they go tothe adult section where they get raped and wherethey exchaqge sex for food and other things." "Hullesoek vir jou boude en iemand hou cavey" (They seekyour thighs and then someone keeps a look out).One boy said that he had seen four big boys try torape a smaller boy, but that other boys intervened.Another said a younger boy had had sex with anolder one in exchange for a cigarette.FightingAt Kroonstad, the boys said there was no fightingand 'no problems during the night', but the wardersmaintained that there was fighting, stealing andsodomy in the cells.At Barberton, some of the boys complained of fightingamongst the inmates. One child had scars on his bodywhich he alleged were the result of fighting off otherboys and resisting sodomy. It seemed, however, thatthis child had been removed form the cell he sharedwith other boys as he himself had been accused offighting with them. -At Pretoria Local Juvenile Section Medium B, one boysaid he had been abused and beaten, other inmateshad tried to make him join the gang and 'sleep' withthe other inmates.'Another boy complained that the older boys beat himwhenever he went near their cells.The researcher concluded that it was possible thatthe fact that children are locked up for 17 hours out; if VIOLENCE IN PRISONS