A report released by the Institute of Race Relations says lesbian‚ gay‚ bisexual‚ transgender or intersex persons (LGBTI) are twice more likely to be attacked in the Eastern Cape than in any other province.
It is followed by KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.
According to the report, four out of 10 LGBTI South Africans know of someone who has been murdered for being, or suspected of being part of the LGBTI community.
The Institute’s senior researcher Gerbrand van Heerden says LGBTI people in the Eastern Cape province are twice as likely to be punched in the heads, kicked or beaten.
He says they are also twice as likely to be physically abused by a family member.
“LGBTI people in the Eastern Cape are twice as likely to be sexually abused or raped than the national average,” says Van Heerden.
“So these statistics are quite concerning as we have one of the most progressive Constitution in the world,” he adds.
