FURIOUS South African women have called for a controversial new anti-rape device, dubbed a “rat trap”, to be banned by the Government.

The tampon-like device, invented by a woman, supposedly protects women from rapists by cutting into a man’s penis.

It has sparked an empassioned debate over the high number of rapes committed each day in the country and the authorities’ apparent failure to tackle the issue.

Activists are outraged and want to stop it going on sale alongside tampons in chemists and supermarkets next month.

Charlene Smith, a leading anti-rape campaigner, said: “This is a medieval instrument, based on male-hating notions and fundamentally misunderstands the nature of rape and violence against women in this society. It is vengeful, horrible, and disgusting. The woman who invented this needs help.”

The device, which Sonette Ehlers, its inventor, has patented, is worn like a tampon but is hollow. In the event of a rape, she said that it would fold around the rapist’s penis and attach itself with microscopic hooks. It is impossible to remove the clamped device without medical intervention.

“We have to do something to protect ourselves. While this will not prevent rape, it will help identify attackers and secure convictions,” Ms Ehlers told the Johannesburg Star.

Women’s groups disputed her claims, which have reopened a debate over violence against women in South Africa. The country has been called the rape capital of the world. Lisa Vetten, of the Centre of Violence and Reconciliation, said: “This is like going back to the days when women were forced to wear chastity belts. It is a terrifying thought that women are being made to adapt to rape.”

The South African Law Commission recently estimated that 1.69 million women a year were raped in the country but that only 52,000 cases a year are reported. Other estimates put the rate even higher.

Ms Smith said: “More than 40 per cent of those raped are children and nationally more than 65 per cent are gang rapes. Whether this translates as a woman raped every 26 seconds or more is irrelevant. It is far too many and not enough is being done to tackle it. This is not a male-only problem, it is a societal problem.”

The activist’s views were echoed by Jenny Crwys- William, the host of a popular radio talk show, who described the device as a “profoundly disturbing” development that underlined how society was in danger of accepting rape as a reality of everyday life. “We need more police and more sensitive police responses to rape. When more rapists go behind bars, rape rates will go down,” she told listeners.

Many callers criticised the Government for a “head in the sand” approach similar to its well-known reluctance to accept the gravity of the HIV/Aids epidemic in the country.

“This will increase the danger to women, who are already in great danger during a rape. The Government must not allow this to go on sale,” one rape victim, who was stabbed twice during an attack, said.

The activist’s views were echoed by Jenny Crwys- William, the host of a popular radio talk show, who described the device as a “profoundly disturbing” development that underlined how society was in danger of accepting rape as a reality of everyday life. “We need more police and more sensitive police responses to rape. When more rapists go behind bars, rape rates will go down,” she told listeners.

Beyond the morals of the thing ... This device guarantees that the inside of your vagina will be splattered with a healthy dose of the rapists blood, thereby eliminating any chance that you wouldn't be exposed to the rapist's body fluids.

I think the real point of the device is to make the rapist wonder for a moment "If I rape her, will my penis be shredded?" and then maybe he won't actually rape anyone.

The number of rapists who think rationally enough to let that stop them is equal to the number of whack jobs that would get off on having their dick sliced up while raping a woman.

Shockingly, I disagree with you A man does not have to be an irrational moron to rape, he only has to be a piece of shit human being with a desperate need for power. He may care more about his penis than about the act of rape.

from my limited understanding of the law, if this were to be introduced in America, the woman wearing it would face charges also.

heres the rational behind it:

for arguments sake, lets say i have a toyota corolla and they are hands down the leaders in cars being stolen. i have a security system on it and everything, but i am still worried about it. so in the steering colum, i rig it up that if anyone cuts the wires they get jolted beyond belief and are injured. legally, they are allowed to sue me and press charges.

i would think booby-trapping a vagina falls under the same category

from my limited understanding of the law, if this were to be introduced in America, the woman wearing it would face charges also.

heres the rational behind it:

for arguments sake, lets say i have a toyota corolla and they are hands down the leaders in cars being stolen. i have a security system on it and everything, but i am still worried about it. so in the steering colum, i rig it up that if anyone cuts the wires they get jolted beyond belief and are injured. legally, they are allowed to sue me and press charges.

i would think booby-trapping a vagina falls under the same category

very true. in fact I think there was a case in Florida where someone was charged after he rigged up a shot gun at the front door to his winter house (lived in the summer in the north) because he was having problems with people breaking in.

well, I think the major issue with this sort of thing is that is endangers firemen/paramedics/police who may need to enter your vagina.

I think the real danger is that more than one woman is going to have to seek medical attention herself after having the thing stuck to her finger.. how the heck do you get the thing in or out without activating the "sharp" mechanism?

Wouldn't it pose an equal threat to the woman using it?