Based on this estimate, the number of rape victims in Namibia is roughly equivalent to the rape of approximately one woman each hour of the day, each day of the year. Rape and other sexual offences are inherently violent crimes, even if the victim suffers no apparent physical injury. They are also serious invasions of personal integrity and dignity. Rape is a particularly heinous crime because it perverts the most intimate human interaction, turning sex into a mechanism for violence. These crimes frequently claim children as their victims, causing unimaginable psychological damage.
Rape is targeted primarily at girls and women.
Incest, is generally defined as sexual intercourse between persons who are related and who are prohibited from marriage. However, it is useful to remember that incest taboos differ from one society to another, and do not necessarily involve shame or violence. It is also conceivable that during the two million or more years of human evolution, some societies may have been forced to adopt incest in order to survive. In Namibia, such practices are, however, not tolerated under the Constitution. Of all acts against the integrity and freedom of a person, rape remains a major scourge in most societies.