SAVF in Standerton pulls through for woman and her child

The odds for a distraught woman (38) and her five-year-old daughter were not that favourable after finding them in Standerton.

According to a reliable source, the mother and child spent the night of Sunday, March 27 in front of the Standerton Police Station.

Hellen Marima, social worker of the SAVF in Schwickard Street, close to the station, contacted the Standerton Advertiser the evening of Monday, March 28, saying she did not know what to do.

First of all, police allegedly refused to assist her in signing a form for the woman to be treated by medical staff, and the child to be put in protective custody.

An allegation that the mother was under the influence of a substance surfaced.

An officer at Standerton Police allegedly said he may not, as a male, be involved in the process of handling the situation.

According to information, police officers were in a hurry after work to get to their homes.

It left the SAVF stranded.

The mother repeatedly said she was afraid of someone raping her daughter and displayed signs of aggression.

The crisis centre took the woman and her child in for the night.

By Tuesday, March 29, the woman had not eaten breakfast and Marima was at her wit’s end trying to get help.

The crisis centre, though suited for the needs of the homeless, is not amenable to a situation of this magnitude.

Marima indicated at 10:19 that a breakthrough occurred since a woman was reported missing in KwaZulu-Natal.

A family member posted a message on Facebook that she wanted to talk to her.

The gate at the SAVF was closely guarded on Tuesday at 13:00 in the event of an escape by the two new occupants.

The Standerton Advertiser used a cellphone number to contact the police and a promise was made that police will be sent to assist.

Calls to the Child Protection Unit in Secunda the same day went unanswered.

By this time, the woman was threatening to end her life.

More than one person made contact with the SAVF, giving different takes on the situation.

Standerton Police kept their promise and a female officer arrived at the SAVF to take the woman away.

Marima indicated on March 29 at 14:57, via WhatsApp, that the SAVF was preparing to take the child to a children’s home.

The newspaper contacted Brig Selvy Mohlala, provincial spokesman of police, on Wednesday, March 30 for comment.

Police paid a visit to the SAVF-offices on March 30 at 10:00, informing them that they will go and check on the woman in hospital themselves.

The SAVF said on March 30 that the woman was in Standerton Hospital, receiving medical care and the child is in a place of safety.

A call to the woman’s sister the same day proved fruitless since the family member was not prepared to share any additional information.

Another call to the woman, who posted the message on Facebook, went to voicemail.

The woman’s biological brother drove from Pretoria and also visited the offices of the SAVF in Standerton.

A process has begun to have the child put in his care and contact was made with a social worker in Pretoria.

The reason why a woman ran away with her five-year-old daughter remains unclear, except for the fact that the experience of a social worker alerted her to the possibility that the mother was afraid.