Cape Town - They were so traumatised after being raped that two considered suicide and a third wanted to book into an asylum. This was because they did not receive the necessary counselling services from the department of social development.
Now a high court judge has compelled the provincial Department of Social Development to report back on the psychological and psychiatric services given to three rape victims in three months. The three, two teenagers aged 16 and 17, were all victims of serial rapist Masixole Mpevu who was sentenced on Thursday. The incidents occurred between 2015 and last year.
While the three received initial counselling at the Victoria Hospital in Wynberg, Judge Robert Henney said it was insufficient as no follow-ups were made.
Two of them contemplated suicide and one wanted to have herself admitted to the Valkenberg psychiatric hospital, but could not as she was unable to pay for the hospital stay and treatment.
“The Department of Social Development failed in their constitutional duty towards these three women,” he said.
The department’s director for the metro north region, Soraya Abrahams, told the court it was Rape Crisis’s responsibility to counsel the women.
Abrahams told the court they had employed the services of Rape Crisis, however, not all victims accepted the invitation to make use of its services, especially immediately after their ordeal.
Rape Crisis co-ordinator for the Observatory area, which Victoria hospital falls under, Shiralee McDonald said part of the healing process was for survivors to empower themselves.
“We don’t force someone to do counselling as it mirrors the rape experience. We hand them a comfort pack with all information and contact details. We are deeply saddened the three couldn’t come,” she said.
Judge Henney said: “There was clearly no follow-up and no further contact with the three women. They were left to cope on their own.”
Mpevu raped one of them vaginally and then put his penis in her mouth. He threatened the three at knifepoint, robbed them, dragged them to the toilets in Joe Slovo and raped them.
His youngest victim was raped twice before the incident. The first rape was her uncle and then a family friend. The first rape was never reported and there were no arrests made in the second incident..
In her victim impact statement, she said she was unable to overcome what happened and would prefer suicide.
Judge Henney handed Mpevu two life terms, 54 years and six months imprisonment for three counts of rape, three kidnappings, attempted robbery, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and two robberies.