Hospital, Jes Foord to offer rape help

Published Mar 23, 2015

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Durban - The Jes Foord Foundation has partnered with the City Hospital Behavioural Centre in Durban to provide free counselling for rape victims.

Michelle Smith, of the JFF, said the partnership came about after the foundation real-ised that there were a lot of victims in and around Durban who were in need of their services, but could not get to their facilities in Mariannhill due to transport costs.

“The City Hospital offers the same services as ours, but it is at a cost that can be afforded by a few who have medical aid.

“We approached the centre and asked them to partner with us to reach the many rape victims who need help, but cannot afford it, and they welcomed this as part of their community service initiative. We started working together at the beginning of this year,” Smith said.

She said that before the partnership, the JFF would usually have to look for funding so they could provide transport services for rape victims who couldn’t afford to go to Mariannhill.

“Getting this funding was a huge challenge, so we thought that since the City Hospital was central and accessible to a lot of people in and around Durban, why not try and partner with them to reach as many victims as possible together,” she said. “We have already begun getting positive feedback from the centre about victims getting the help they need.”

Head of treatment at the City Hospital Behavioural Centre, Wanda Boshoff, said that an increasing number of victims being referred to them by the JFF were coming forward.

“We are positive that once the word is out, more victims will come and get the professional counselling that is essential for them,” she said.

According to Boshoff, the cheapest counselling session is about R350, and a session usually takes one hour.

There are generally three follow-up sessions, which many victims simply cannot afford.

“Every victim of rape deserves to be counselled by a professional to move on and have a productive life. At the centre, we have four professional clinical staff to ensure we help everybody who has been referred to us by JFF, regardless of where they come from,” she said.

Rape victims who are seeking professional help and cannot afford it are encouraged to contact the JFF (tel: 086 133 3449) to get a referral letter to the City Hospital Behavioural Centre.

Daily News

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