It is against the law to not report the rape of your child, or any child who tells you that she or he has been raped.
“If you choose to do nothing, you can be charged,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Natasha Kara.
Kara was speaking at a domestic violence Imbizo in Ntshawini last Wednesday organised by the National Prosecuting Authority-Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit, in collaboration with different government departments, NGOs and KwaDukuza municipality.
She said rape is one of the biggest challenges faced by the people of KwaDukuza townships and the rural areas in the Ilembe region and that tragically, most of the victims are children.
“Primary school age children are the main victims.”
Children depend on their parents or guardians for their safety and support and should anything happen to them, they tell their parents. However, some parents do not report these cases because the “rapists” use their financial clout or their status in the community to intimidate them.
She said that in some incidents the family might decide not to open a case just to protect family dignity.
“Rape leaves a scar in the heart and life of a child. This will be worse if the rapist is not reported,” said Kara.
Kara encouraged parents not to feel ashamed when it comes to reporting such cases.
She said there are adults who do not report their own rapes to the police due to the embarrassing questions usually asked by officers at police stations. Questions like, “what were you doing at night on the street?” or “why were you wearing a short dress at night?”
“These questions make the victims feel as if they have committed a sin or that they got what they deserved.”
An alternative to reporting a rape at the police station is to go to the Thuthuzela Care Centre at Stanger Regional Hospital.
“What makes the centre a better option is that you get everything under one roof. There is a social worker, nurse and police officer trained to deal with rape victims,” said Kara.
“You will be assisted to get immediate medical attention, counselling will be arranged, the police officer will help you to open a case and there is ongoing counselling and court preparation assistance if the case goes to trial.”
She said another problem was the misuse of the Zulu tradition which demands payment for damages to the family of the victim.
“A man will rape a young girl and then offer the victim’s family payment for the “damages” or even lobola and take that girl as his wife.”
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