CAPE TOWN - After a two-year battle, a UCT student allegedly raped by a professor has yet to find justice.
She is also struggling to treat the deeply engraved emotional scars from the trauma.
The student, who is also practising at a public hospital, said while she reported the incident to the university after it happened, the processes that followed resulted in no consequences for the alleged perpetrator and her still having to report to him even after she had attempted suicide.
But UCT referred inquiries to the provincial Department of Health, with spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala saying: “As the survivor and the accused are both employees of the Western Cape Government, this matter should be referred to the provincial government.”
The national and provincial Health Departments have since confirmed they are investigating the matter.
Provincial Health Department spokesperson Mark Van der Heever said: “Although the alleged incident happened in 2019, it was only recently brought to the attention of the department through the labour relations process.
“The department has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse and has appointed an investigator who has met with the complainant and witnesses. The process has only recently started and is ongoing.”
The National Department of Health said: “The DG has appointed the investigator to investigate the matter and also urged (the victim) to participate in the process so that sufficient and accurate facts are put before the investigator. The department communicated with her, and the investigation process continues. The department will not hesitate to implement the findings of the investigation process.”
Speaking about her ordeal, she said the incident occurred in his office on campus in 2019.
“I was called to the (alleged perpetrator’s) office. He sent a letter formally and attached other authorities so if I refused it would look like misconduct. I sat in the bathroom for 20 minutes before I went.”
In the office he allegedly had called her “beautiful, smart, sexy” and placed his hands down his pants and forced himself on her.
“After it (the alleged rape) happened, I was extremely uncomfortable and ran out, I even left my belongings, there was a concerned individual (who) ran after me not knowing what’s going on. I couldn’t verbalise what happened and I left the environment into the elevator then out of the building. I later received an emailed evaluation with failure of future dated rotations within the department.”
As a student and worker, she said she reported to the alleged perpetrator in both capacities.
“I reported the matter to the university but they haven’t done anything. It was submitted for investigation and he should have been suspended pending the investigation outcome but that did not happen. Instead … they sent me to the Dean of Researchers who sees no fault in my matter. The university had arranged for me to be interviewed by a sexual harassment officer. She was only able to see me during work hours then at the times I had to see her.
“He wrote to the management of the university and hospital where he has power, I have absconded from work.”
After attempting to commit suicide, she said she returned to work and was allegedly forced to take “return to fitness assessment”.
She said she was also told that there would be “litigation” and she should therefore drop the matter.
The trauma has left her struggling to cope emotionally, she said.
“I cry myself to sleep. I debate on how to find light because there’s nothing but darkness that surrounds me. I wonder if I will ever get my degree. I am doing all this to hold on to my education and pave the path for another black female, to study in this field without trauma.
“I truly love what I do. It brings me joy but the trauma of what has happened is a lot of hurt to carry on a day-to-day basis,” she said.
Activist and rape survivor June-Dolley Major said the fact that the alleged perpetrator continued to work there, “could put others at risk”.
“The reason why victims remain silent after being raped is because when you do break the silence, your life gets ripped apart. When you speak out you are being body shamed and victim blamed. People in top positions do this and they have power over you, and they are known in the community,” she said.
Cape Times