A child sexual assault victim was recently transported in the same police van as the alleged perpetrator, a breach of police protocol. This is just one example of how the justice system makes it difficult for rape survivors to report a crime. Teddy Bear Clinic director Shaheda Omar said reporting sex-related crimes at a police station was fraught with problems.Omar reviewed the Shukumisa Report compiled by a group of NGOs to assess police stations' compliance with the Sexual Offences Act. It was released last week.Under the act, police should provide a safe space for rape victims to report crime. The report shows huge inconsistencies between the police stations surveyed - with some offering excellent support whereas others are unable to provide rape survivors with the legally required documentation.The report states that treatment at police stations "might either empower a survivor to report the case ... or cause a survivor to turn back in order to avoid further suffering through secondary trauma".Volunteers surveyed 112 police stations, 68 in Eastern Cape, 15 in Gauteng, 14 in KwaZulu-Natal and 11 in Western Cape.The report urges caution in interpreting the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal data because of the small sample size. Police stations did well on some issues:Between 65% and 75% of stations surveyed were clean and in good condition;About 70% were accessible to the community and were properly signposted;At least 82% of stations monitored had short waiting times for service; andIn the Western Cape, the researchers had a positive experience at all the police stations.However, between 35% and 45% of stations surveyed did not have all the documents required by law. Not every police station was using its "trauma rooms" to provide private space for survivors in which they could describe their experience.The lack of consistency between police stations was "enormously problematic", said Jenny Bell, manager of NGO Justice and Women."We need to be providing a culture in which everyone can be equally serviced," Bell said.The monitoring of police stations was in 2013 and 2014. Police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the report's conclusions were outdated. Bell said a lack of funding had delayed the report's release.Omar, who reviewed the report said: "Sadly the data are still valid. Some parents have expressed fear of the police and will not approach them."The police did not respond to requests for comment...