Four women allegedly raped in two days in eMalahleni

This past week brought horror in the lives of four women (three minors and one adult) after they were raped.

In the alleged incident involving the adult victim, the victim’s head was covered with her shirt, forced into the bushes, and raped by a perpetrator who threatened to stab her.

In another incident involving a minor victim, the victim was allegedly raped by two unknown men in an open field on Mandela Road after she took the wrong taxi.

Read the full article in next week’s edition of the WITBANK NEWS.

Witbank Police urge the community to use the safety tips provided by the SAPS against sexual offences.

The SAPS indicates that vulnerability to these offences increases in the following circumstances, among others:

• in dark and deserted places at night;
• if you look vulnerable (e.g. walking alone in desolate areas);
• if you appear uncertain, for example, if you do not know where you are going.

In a case of rape, the SAPS indicate as follows:

• Try not to panic.
• Common sense is your best defence.
• You can not always defend yourself, and your resistance may cause serious injury.
• If the attacker is dangerous, cooperate and try to negotiate.
• Submission is not consent.

After a rape, the SAPS states that every victim thereof responds differently ‒ but you will likely benefit from help.

You may feel:

• dirty and want to wash repeatedly;
• scared and afraid to go out;
• that it is your fault and that you are guilty; or
• you cannot sleep, have nightmares, cannot eat, cannot stop crying, or you want to forget it as quickly as possible and get on with your life.

None of these responses is unusual or unnatural, and remember that there is always someone to help you.

Victim Support programmes, psychologists, counsellors, healthcare or social workers, employers, friends, family, or church members ‒ ask the police official dealing with your case to recommend someone to help you.

What happens when you report a rape (or other sexual offences)?

The police official will take your statement.

You need not be alone ‒ a friend or family member can be with you while you make your statement, as long as he/she is not a potential witness in your case.

If you later feel that your statement is wrong or incomplete, you can make another statement.

You can make your statement in your own language (if it may be translated).

You have the right to copy your statement.

It may sometimes not be possible to get a copy immediately, but then you will get it later.

The police official will give you a case number, and you must use this number whenever you want information about your case.

If necessary, the investigating officer will make sure you are examined by an accredited healthcare worker, who will complete a medical report and collect medical evidence.

You must make sure that the investigating officer knows how and where to contact you at all times, including when you move to another location, but it is a victim’s responsibility to notify the police official of any address changes.

The investigating officer will let you know of the following:

• when the suspect is arrested;
• if the suspect is released on bail;
• if you need to attend an identification parade;
• the date of the trial;
• when you will have to give evidence; and
• the outcome of the case.

A victim must have the responsible police official’s telephone number so that he/she knows where to get information about his/her case.

The police investigate the case and then hand it over to a state lawyer, called a prosecutor.

The service is free to you.

Both the police official, the investigating officer, and the prosecutor will be able to give you information about your case.

Get a telephone number from the investigating officer so that you know where to get information about your case.

What can we all do to help?

• Join community-based Victim Support initiatives; be trained as a Volunteer.
• Report rape ‒ and help others to report rape.
• Do not protect rapists ‒ do not hide them in your home or community ‒ tell the police about them.
• Bring up your boys to be real men ‒ real men respect women and real men do not rape.

You have the right to say no!

No one has the right to force you into sexual activity, no matter what your relationship with this person is.

This means no one can force you to have sex, touch you in a sexual way without your consent, or force you to perform a sexual activity you find unpleasant or humiliating.

Remember ‒ a sexual assault is NOT your fault.

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