RAPE CASES' PROOF GONE - Mariana Balt
Lowvelder 3 MAY 2002
NELSPRUIT - Rape councillors can find no trace of the documented evidence on 103 rape cases reported during 2001. One of the Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Programme (Grip) volunteers, Mr Koos Strauss, this week revealed that the documents filled in at hospitals often disappear mysteriously from then until the time they wind up in court.
This makes him and others who assist rape survivors despondent about the apparent indifference of the authorities to this crime.
These cases were reported by rape survivors referred to Grip offices from hospitals in the Lowveld.
Of them, 32 were reported at the Nelspruit office of the SAPD, 29 at Kabokweni, 29 at KaNyamazane, eight at Matsulu, four at Masoyi and 12 at Msogwaba. The ages of these survivors vary from l8 months to 60 years.
According to Strauss, the crime kits available at Grip's care rooms are not properly utilised, and blood test samples and results disappear from hospitals. Several attempts at obtaining answers from officials were unsuccessful as was Strauss's attempt to get an appointment with the area commissioner.
Even during the course of cases - those that eventually get to court - circumstances leave much to be desired.
In a recent case, a five year-old rape survivor from Schoemansdal was brought to the Nelspruit court in the back of a pick-up van - together with the alleged rapist.
Needless to say, she was terrified speechless when she arrived at court and the case had to be postponed again until June. It was the third postponement.
A despondent Strauss told Lowvelder that after the latest incident, he tried.to report these irregularities to the local office of the Independent Complaints Directorate but despaired after a long wait for somebody to attend to him.
