Plight of SA schoolgirls

A US-based organisation, Human Rights Watch, says schoolgirls in South Africa are being raped and sexually assaulted at an alarming rate.

It says in a report that teachers and classmates are responsible for many of the assaults, and that often when the vicitms complain to the school authorities they are treated with hostility or indifference.

Human Rights Watch appeals to the government to develop a national strategy to deal with the problem, including better screening procedures for potential teachers.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service