Caster Semenya 'Like a Raped Person'

bonnie-goldstein

Bonnie Goldstein

Woman Up Editor
Posted:
09/17/09
Ria's troubling recent post about the (possibly) intersexual South African runner Caster Semenya echoed again when I read that the athletically gifted teenager is on a suicide watch after her humiliating and very personal health information was leaked from an investigation by the International Association of Athletics Federations. The South African Sports Minister hinted at possible legal action against the IAAF, saying, "She is still a girl."


The leaked reports claim she possesses male and female sex organs -- but no womb -- details that most likely came as a surprise to the 18-year-old. Lawmaker Butana Komphela, head of South Africa's Sports Committee, described the young woman's mental state as "like a raped person. She is afraid of herself and does not want anyone near her. If she commits suicide, it will be on all our heads. The best we can do is protect her and look out for her during this trying time."