The secondary victimisation and ordeal that victims of crime experience at the hands of law enforcement and health workers remain a headache, say gender based violence activists.
This is after an investigation by the health ombud found there was negligence in how a 15-year-old rape victim was handled by staff at Motherwell Clinic in Gqeberha, where she first sought help. Zenizole Vena died at a police station after she was turned away from the clinic.
Siyabulela Monakali, spokesperson for Ilitha Labantu, said though this might be an isolated incident, further investigations should be done about the conduct of healthcare officials.
Ilitha Labantu is an organisation that focuses on addressing violence against women and children by supporting those affected by it.
“We are deeply concerned about the treatment of victims/survivors of GBV by health officials in our public health facilities, particularly survivors of sexual violence. It is a sad state of affairs that survivors have to endure further discrimination amid having had experienced such an horrific ordeal.
“We certainly cannot claim to be making any real progress, until victims and survivors are treated with the urgency and care they deserve, and strongly appeal that those responsible for the wrongful treatment of the deceased be brought to justice,” said Monakali.
Health ombud Prof Taole Mokoena released findings of the investigation in Pretoria on Tuesday. His probe sought to ascertain if Vena died as a result of neglect, was denied care at the clinic and whether the clinic staff failed to refer her to the next level of care.
A complaint had been lodged by the DA’s shadow minister of health, Michéle Clarke, in September 2022.
The secondary victimisation is also seen when you go to the police station you get questioned in the same room as everyone, whereas there should be victim empowerment rooms where they can freely report the matter.
— Dr Malose Langa
Mokoena found that Vena had reported to the clinic in a dire condition, accompanied by an elderly woman, after suffering an horrific rape.
“The healthcare workers who attended to Vena at the clinic did not touch or examine her, with the belief that every sexual assault case should be referred to the police,” the report revealed.
Dr Malose Langa, associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of the Witwatersrand and researcher at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, said a lot of challenges young people face are a result of an unfriendly system.
“We also see this with young women going to get contraceptives at clinics, when they are there the treatment has been negative, as a result many of them avoid going to the facilities to receive contraceptives. Many of them end up getting pregnant and exposed to sexually transmitted diseases.
“Some receive ill treatment when they give birth and experience medical negligence. With rape victims, at times you may have gone out to a social place in the wee hours of the morning, the first thing they think of is, go to the clinic,” said Langa.
He added that when a victim reports rape, they urgently need to be examined and put on medication.
“But some get denied that opportunity. You first need to be medically examined and the nurses need to accompany you to the police station.
“The secondary victimisation is seen when you go to the police station you get questioned in the same room as everyone, whereas there should be victim empowerment rooms where they can freely report the matter,” he said.
When Vena told clinic staff of her ordeal, she was instead instructed to go to the Motherwell police station — 2km away — as staff erroneously believed “nurses are not allowed to touch rape victims to avoid tampering with evidence”.
“Despite their belief, the two nurses did not arrange transport to take the escort [an elderly lady] and victim to [Motherwell police station] or call the police to come to Motherwell NU 11 Clinic to take over the case.”
One of the nurses indicated she only took the patient’s vital health data, which was written in a personal diary but not in the approved patient administration record, the report found.
Vena and the elderly woman, neither of whom had money for a taxi, trekked to the police station. Vena collapsed, had seizures and wet her pants on the side of the road.
A taxi driver offered to take them to the police station as Vena could no longer walk or talk. The report found that upon arrival at the police station, Vena was not immediately attended to by the police. An hour-and-a-half later she was found dead on the floor in the police charge office.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.