International Day Against Torture: AfriForum involves International Council against Torture in battle against farm murders

AfriForum will release a report on Thursday 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 will be introduced on 26 June – 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 at 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 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 will be 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. The office of the Minister has confirmed that the AfriForum delegation will be awaited.

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.

“There is currently no crime phenomenon in the country of which the brutality can be compared to what is seen in farm murders. 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 those employers are tortured and murdered.”

Various victims of farm attacks, of which some were tortured, will be present when the report is released. The media is hereby invited to attend the event.

Details are as follows:

Date: Thursday, 26 June 2014 (International Day in Support of Victims of Torture)
Time: 10:00
Place: Café Riche, Church Square, Pretoria.
After the release of the report, we will walk to the office of the Minister for the handing over of the report.
RSVP: Esmarie Prinsloo @ esmarie@afriforum.co.za