Bloemfontein - The State on Monday questioned the actions of a matron in charge of a hospital ward in which a seriously ill cancer patient was allegedly raped by a male nurse.
The Bloemfontein High Court was hearing evidence in the rape trial of Free State male nurse Kodisang Moema, 34, on two counts of rape.
He pleaded not guilty.
State prosecutor Amanda Bester questioned an “experiment” by matron Dipou Mathobisa during the first night shift after the alleged crime.
Bester wanted to know why she had sent the alleged rapist back to the victim to change the patient's lying position in bed while she was in the ward.
“I did not make an experiment,” said Mathobisa.
“I thought she would chase (him) away or scream.”
Bester asked: “You did it to see (her) reaction?”
Mathobisa said if it was true that the woman was raped, she thought the victim would not stand seeing them enter the room.
The court heard the victim did not react by screaming.
However, the woman who was paralysed in the lower part of her body later reported to another nurse that “they were here again”.
The matron testified that she did not make any inquiries into the alleged rape on the next night shift.
She acknowledged that the matter should have been reported to police immediately.
Moema was arrested after the woman, who has since died, alleged that she was raped at night in a ward at the National Hospital in Bloemfontein.
The woman's husband told police the attack happened on October 15.
The patient could not identify a woman nurse who she claimed held her during the rape.
A health worker who was present on the night of the alleged rape, Janet Kgoare, testified that Moema did not rape the female patient.
Kgoare said she was testifying in support of Moema and would not give false testimony in support.
Moema’s defence counsel Pieter Nel, also called Dr Johan Raats to testify.
He told the court depending on the amount and type of medicine given, some of the medicine could have an impact on a patient’s way of thought, reactions, and speech patterns.
Moema’s case was closed.
The matter was postponed to Tuesday. - Sapa