Cape Town - Anglican Church Reverend June Dolley Major intends to serve legal papers on the minister of justice, the National Prosecuting Authority and others to investigate historical child sexual offences within several Anglican churches.
Major is expected to return to Cape Town today following a gruelling more than 40-day pilgrimage by foot to Makhanda, in the Eastern Cape.
The “Walk in my Shoes, the Shoes of a Rape Survivor” pilgrimage was to highlight the plight of rape survivors, breaking the stigma and silence around rape, and to raise funds for a resource and advice centre for survivors.
Major alleged that she was raped by an Anglican bishop at the Grahamstown Seminary in Makhanda in 2002, but the Church rejected her claims.
“So because there is no safe space for these men and women to come forward, I in the near future will be compelling the state to do a historical sexual offence inquiry in certain churches with regards to historical child sexual offences in churches in which I know for sure that boys were raped in.
“Places like Laaiplek, Stellenbosch, Blackheath, Bonteheuwel, Retreat – just to mention a few. It was in these Anglican churches where boys were in fact raped,” said Major live on Facebook on Monday afternoon.
Puffadders, baboons, reckless drivers and unfavourable weather conditions met Major and Elsies River rape survivor and activist Celesthea Pierang while on their journey.
“Along the way, so many had shared their experiences of pain, abuse and rape for the very first time, breaking a 40 and even 70-year silence,” said Major.
“What Celesthea and I were doing was getting these 32 towns to talk about rape, to talk about gender-based violence.”
Major said they did not raise enough money for the centre but were still looking for premises to see the realisation of it and people were still able to contribute towards it.
Pierang said: “We had many uphills and loads of downhills. And that's what the life of a rape survivor is like. Today we are okay, tomorrow we are not. I am a rape survivor myself, raped at the age 16 and for almost two decades I struggle to allow people into my personal space and I get triggered still.
“People tend to think that rape is just a once-off thing but in essence it’s a lifetime journey of healing for survivors and the families of victims who have passed on.”