Indian rape comment: estate agent disciplined
Just Property in Midrand has distanced itself from a Facebook comment by one of their estate agents, who has since been suspended.
|||Durban – Just Property Midrand's General Manager Brian van Wijk says suspended agent Darryn Wilken’s hearing has been adjourned and wants to set the record straight and “clear the company’s name” after it was on the receiving end of a mammoth outcry to suspend Wilken.
Van Wijk says Just Property’s reputation and name has been tarnished after Wilken posted a shocking comment on Facebook which read, “I will go rape every Indian women I see. Then after the 12 hours I’ll hit them up with a message like, last night was fun, we should do it again some time.”
The comment came after he replied to a picture in a Facebook group which goes by the name Dark Humour Memes that asked “If any crime was legal for 12 hours what would you do?”
The Gauteng real estate agent found himself in hot water when a livid public reached out to both the Equality Court and the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to take criminal action against Wilken, after it was circulated on social media.
Speaking to IOL, van Wijk said Wilken has been suspended and his hearing has been adjourned.
“He (Wilken) has his own right to comment and is entitled to comment, but we as an organisation do not tolerate such comments. We do not tolerate discrimination against women and race.”
He added, “We are taking disciplinary measures but the case is taking extremely long. Wilken’s case has been adjourned. However we can not give out any further information because it could put him in jeopardy.”
When questioned on what he meant by “jeopardy”, van Wijk declined to elaborate.
Van Wijk did mention that Wilken has been a star employee who had served the company for over three years, and had no previous record of bad behaviour.
“He does not overindulge in drinking and has been a good employee until now.”
Several attempts to contact Wilken were unsuccessful. Wilken has since deactivated his Facebook account and email replies return with an “out of office” reply. Just Property has removed Wilken’s biography from its website.
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