News — adultification of black girls

We catch up with some members of the Public in London and ask them what they think of Black Parenting. Interview by Mathew Roache

A mother has appeared in court in South Africa accused of hacking off a man's penis after he was suspected of raping and killing her five-year-old daughter. 

Veronique Makwena, 23, is charged with attempted murder alongside sister-in-law Noxolo Maneli and family friend Siyabonga Pakade for attacking a man after the body her daughter Chantelle was found in a public toilet.

Lawyer Fundile Matoto, who agreed to represent the women without fee after the case drew national attention, does not deny the attack took place but said the charges should be reduced.

Speaking to News24, he said: 'In my opinion, this case is a matter of assault, at most, grievous bodily harm.' 

Chantelle went missing from her home in Port Elizabeth in August that year while Makwena and her sister went to the shops and back, which was a long walk away.

By the time they arrived home it was dark and Chantelle, who they had left in the company of a friend, was nowhere to be seen.

Makwena said she spent all night searching for the five-year-old but could find no trace of her.

Her bloodied body was eventually discovered slumped over in a public toilet the following day by Makwena's husband, and a police investigation launched.

A man in his early 20s who was known to the family was taken for DNA testing, but police said they could not arrest him until results came back. 

Around a month later Makwena, her 25-year-old sister-in-law and 24-year-old family friend allegedly confronted the man, saying he was responsible for the girl's death. 

During the confrontation, the three woman are accused of cutting off his penis.

The man was taken to hospital where he named Makwena, Maneli and Pakade as his attackers. He also underwent successful surgery to reattach his penis.

Makwena was arrested shortly afterwards and held in jail for two weeks until charity Enough is Enough helped raise funds to pay her bail and buy her groceries.

The case has attracted national attention, including from NGO Project Inmate, who published photos of Makwena ahead of her trial.

Speaking to News24 outside court on Wednesday, Makwena said: 'When [Chantelle] was found, my heart sank, I was crushed. 

'My [daughter] was gone. While we looked for her through the night, she had been lying in that cold toilet. I was broken, I still am.'

In Todays video we are talking about the Adultification of Black Girls & how to Stop the Sexualization of Black Girls I know this topic can be really heavy, so I've added a Trigger Waring because I do talk about sexual abuse. The Adultification of black girls was studied by Georgetown Law Center & Poverty and Inequality and found that black girls girls were seen as more adult-like than their white white counterparts. Now being a black girl, I have experienced this. Blacks girls start getting treated like they're older and are given more adult like responsibilities at a younger age than black boys and white boys and girls. This study also shows that because black girls are perceived older, they begin to get sexualized at extremely early ages. Black women have been made to feel ashamed of their bodies because our very bodies were seen as sexual objects. Why cant blacks girls be given the space to be that GIRLS ... CHILDREN ! We need to do the work to Stop Sexualizing Black Girls. All of this leads feeds into r*pe culture and victim blaming, especially towards black women. I will always shine a light on tough topics that affect our community as women, as black women and also as a christian. Its important to talk about it to become aware and to bring this to an end. Let me know in the comments down below what you think about this topic or how adultification has affected you growing up.