Woman allegedly raped on her way to report assault case at clinic in Mpumalanga

A woman allegedly turned away by police after attempting to report a case of assault became a victim of rape on her way to a clinic in eMbalenhle, Mpumalanga.

Ridge Times reports the 36-year-old allegedly went to the eMbalenhle police station on Saturday night to report she had been assaulted.

‘Refusal’ to open a case

Police members on duty reportedly told the woman to go to a clinic to be examined by medical personnel first, and only then would a case be opened.

This was allegedly for a J88 form to be completed to record the woman’s injuries.

On her way to the clinic, a man not known to her allegedly threatened her with a sharp object, saying he wold stab and kill her if she did not obey his instructions.

He then allegedly dragged her into an open field and raped her, before escorting her to the clinic and leaving her at the gate.

Police claim they were unable to help the woman because she was intoxicated.

When approached for comment by Ridge Times, eMbalenhle police spokesperson Constable Busi Mthethwa did not provide any.

ALSO READ: SA’s rape hotspots: Here’s where the most sexual offences were reported

Rape scourge

Saps recorded 9 516 rape cases between April and June 2022. While most provinces showed a decrease, North West and the Northern Cape saw a spike in sexual offences.

1 546 people were raped in public places such as streets, parks and beaches, while public transportation (buses, taxis and trains) were the third most likely places.

The most dangerous region was Inanda in KwaZulu-Natal with 78 cases of rape reported between April and June 2022 (up from 73 cases during the same period in 2021).

Lusikisiki police station in the Eastern Cape opened 73 cases, up from 71 during 2021.

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Edited and compiled by Nica Richards. Additional reporting by Cheryl Kahla.

Parts of this article first appeared on Caxton publication Ridge Times‘ website, by Mphikeleli Masangu. Read the original article here.