Older men luring teenage girls into dangerous relationships for financial gain.
Image: Karen Sandison/ Independent Newspapers.
COMMUNITY leaders on the North Coast are alarmed by the rising trend of 'blessers' - older men luring teenage girls into dangerous relationships for financial gain.
Daniel Chettiar, founder of the DSK Group, a non-profit organisation on the North Coast, said older men preying on young girls was leading to a high teenage pregnancy rate in the area.
“In some cases the girls are comfortable being with older men because they are getting what they want. If a young girl is driving around with an older man in a Mercedes, in Phoenix, nobody questions it.
“It seems as if girls are giving their bodies to these older men just to survive, and the older men are taking advantage of their circumstances.
“Men should know better than to groom under-aged girls and solicit sex from them. Sadly, there are many paedophiles among us,” said Chettiar.
“The challenge is that many of the girls are willingly with these men. When it is reported to us, they claim they are not doing anything wrong. They tell us that the men are giving them what they need, and that no rape was involved.
“Without evidence, we cannot open cases. The girls often tell us that they have sex willingly. We are dealing with 20 cases of pregnancy from December 24, where teenage girls are pregnant and their families appear fine with it.
“Most of the girls claimed it was consensual sex, and no charges were opened,” he added.
Chettiar said they found that when older men were reported, they were usually known to the victim.
“The perpetrators who are reported are often the fishing buddies or friends of the girls’ fathers, or older men from their community.
“In other instances, the girls have reported that older men targeted them while they were playing in the local park,” he added.
“Our youth are informed and educated, but when somebody close offers them gifts, items for school or money, they are hesitant to report them,” he added.
Dr Keresha Govender, from the Rapid Response Team on the North Coast, said they worked with teenagers and the community.
“It is a double-edge sword because we have to simultaneously work with the communities and the victims. We have to ensure that we try to disarm the stigma attached to these girls who have fallen prey to the elderly men so that they are willing to come forward with information, and reach out for help and support.
“I believe this scenario has played into a power dynamic in most instances. Sadly, the vicious cycle of resources that older, more established men provide for younger women has become almost a status symbol, which exacerbates the problem.
“The reality is most of these young women are not desired for their intelligence or their personality. They are being objectified by older men and treated like a commodity,” she added.
Govender said most of the girls lured by older men become alienated from friends and family.
“That is a classic scenario that festers abuse – it can be financial, emotional, verbal, psychological and physical.
“Our priority is to keep these young ladies safe and minimise risk behaviour. The problem is that most of the teenage girls do not believe they are engaging in high-risk behaviour or that they are walking blindly into situations where they are losing their power in exchange for financial benefits,” Govender added.