victims
Evidence wa ka Ngobeni
Members of the Winterveld community north of Pretoria used to be afraid to report cases of rape to the police. Charges were rarely laid and even when they were, there was no form of counselling available to assist victims to face perpetrators in the courts.
That was before a group called People Against Abuse opened a trauma centre at the local police station. The group wants to break the silence surrounding abuse in Winterveld and to ensure no case of rape goes unreported.
Says project co-ordinator Jane Mokwazo: ”I was working at a community clinic and many abused or raped children were admitted. We would transfer them to the police, but later when we traced their cases we found that they either dropped the charges because the matter could not be taken forward, or did not lay charges against the rapist.”
The centre opened two months ago and as it has become better known in the community, more and more victims have made use of its services. It presently helps six or more victims of abuse and rape every week.
The trauma centre is attached to the Lewatle police station. According to police representative Joseph Kgokane, it provides assistance to the police in dealing with rape cases. ”People were afraid to report rape cases because of the manner in which some policemen handled them. The centre provides a more sensitive approach to rape victims.
”Our people can now see that the police are providing services. This kind of centre should be formed in other police stations around the country,” he said.
The trauma centre operates 24 hours a day. Its plan to instil confidence in victims to report incidents to the police is not based solely on jailing rapists, but more on educating and counselling the victims.
The kind of counselling it provides is aimed at encouraging victims to regain their confidence in society. Lerato Mosia (18) was raped last year. Since the incident, she has been unable to go to school.
Her rapist also beat her and threatened that if she reported the matter, she would be killed. She told the Mail & Guardian that the centre has helped her to overcome her fears and her loneliness.
”I felt like I was not worthy of living with my friends and that I was useless in the community, so I used to lock myself up in the house for weeks,” Mosia said. But after counselling at the centre, she feels ready to go back to school and relates well to her friends.
The centre’s services include visiting victims and assisting them in laying charges and handling court cases.
Working in conjunction with the Lewatle police station, the group is hoping to establish six satellite trauma stations around Winterveld and the surrounding areas.
The centre is funded by the European Union, and People Against Abuse is looking for more funding to run its 24-hour activities. The long-term goal is to establish a full-scale rape clinic next to the police station.