The Victim Support Centre at Florida Police Station has seen more than its share of horrific and heartbreaking stories unfold.
People inevitably end up there during – and due to – the most devastating moments of their lives.
It is up to the staff of the Victim Empowerment Centre to help those who come through their doors deal with the trauma of experiencing crime and abuse.
According to the resident social worker and manager of the Florida Victim Empowerment Centre, Basane Chauke, the work they do at the centre, though extremely difficult at times, can also be very rewarding.
“This is not a job you do for any other reason than it being a calling,” she says. “My team and I deal with some of the most harrowing cases of abuse and trauma imaginable. Our goal is always first and foremost to help victims process and understand what they have experienced, and that this too can be overcome even though it may not seem like it at the moment.”
Chauke shares that domestic abuse and rape make up the vast majority of cases they have to deal with.
“I don’t think that domestic abuse or rape has decreased despite the amount of press it receives nationally and internationally. I do think that victims are more empowered and more likely to seek help and come forward since a lot of the stigma attached to it has been removed through education.
“The cases that break my heart are those where the victim is dependent on the aggressor and is therefore trapped in an impossible situation. These may not be the most horrific of cases, but they are the ones in which we as social workers feel the most powerless.”
Chauke explains that in cases of child abuse, for instance, there are mechanisms available for the protection of children. Dealing with the trauma of what has happened to them is one aspect of it, but the mechanisms for longer-term care are all in place.
“There are very few options for women who are trapped in circumstances where they are being abused. They are dependent on the perpetrators for their survival. We see many cases where a woman has children and has nowhere else to go, and no one to turn to.”
Chauke also puts a large part of the blame for women’s abuse down to cultural practices.
“In most cultures, men are seen as the providers, the leaders of the home, and the layers down of the law. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, I think some men do not realise that there is a difference between respect and fear. In some cultures, it is not only perfectly acceptable but even expected of men to ‘discipline’ their wives.”
The Florida Victim Support Centre provides a safe and tranquil space where victims of crime, violence, and abuse can find the help that they need.
