Johannesburg, South Africa ? A medieval device built on hatred of men? Or a cheap, easy-to-use invention that could free millions of South African women from fear of rape, in a country with the worst sexual assault record on earth?

Dubbed the “rape trap,” trademarked “Rapex,” the condom-like device bristling with internal hooks designed to snare rapists has reignited controversy over the nation’s alarming rape rate, even before it was launched officially Wednesday in South Africa’s Western Cape.

The device, which must be concealed inside a woman’s body like a tampon, hooks onto a rapist during penetration, and must be surgically removed.

Inventor Sonette Ehlers, a former medical technician, said the rape trap would be so painful for a rapist that it would disable him immediately, enabling his victim to escape, but she insisted it would cause no long-term physical damage to the assailant, and could not accidentally injure the woman.

South Africa has the highest per capita rate of reported rapes in the world – 119 per 100,000 people, according to the United Nations. That compares with 30 per 100,000 in the United States.