A Real Vagina Dentata

Apparently this news is two years old, but it's brand new to me.

From Wikipedia

In 2005, inventor Sonette Ehlers introduced the "Rapex", an anti-rape female condom which can be inserted into the vaginal canal like a diaphragm. The product is lined with barbs which attach to a rapist's penis and which must be surgically removed. In an article about the Rapex, Ehlers stated that she was inspired to invent the device after meeting a victim who told her, "If only I had teeth down there."

From TimesOnline.co.uk

FURIOUS South African women have called for a controversial new anti-rape device, dubbed a “rat trap”, to be banned by the Government.

The tampon-like device, invented by a woman, supposedly protects women from rapists by cutting into a man’s penis.

It has sparked an empassioned debate over the high number of rapes committed each day in the country and the authorities’ apparent failure to tackle the issue.

Activists are outraged and want to stop it going on sale alongside tampons in chemists and supermarkets next month.

Charlene Smith, a leading anti-rape campaigner, said: “This is a medieval instrument, based on male-hating notions and fundamentally misunderstands the nature of rape and violence against women in this society. It is vengeful, horrible, and disgusting. The woman who invented this needs help.”

I'm just not sure how I feel about this. As usual, I had an initial response then thought about the issue and identified the other side of it.

Being familiar with the concept of a Vagina Dentata that's what immediately came to my mind. I thought this device was a rather empowering idea - at first. But, the more I think about it the reason men rape seems to rarely be based on the sex act alone. There are typically a whole lot of deep seeded mental issues (or a society in need of education and female liberation) involved that getting your penis caught in a barbed vice isn't necessarily going to cure.

So, is this actually some archaic device created by a woman who hates men and perhaps has her own issues to deal with - that creating dentures for her girl parts isn't going to fix? Or is it a way to prevent rape and catch rapists in countries where little is being done for violated women? What do you think?