Cape Town – A 26-year-old woman says she was turned away by cops at the Khayelitsha police station when she tried to open a case of rape.
She says instead of helping her, officers told her to come back the next day “and don’t bath”.
The woman from Site B in Khayelitsha says she was travelling to the TR Section on Monday night when the minibus taxi driver allegedly raped her.
“It was just before 10pm and I was going to my boyfriend,” she explains.
“I was alone in the van and the driver changed the route, he threatened me and forced himself on me.”
She says the driver let her out of the van on an unknown road and says another man who noticed her distress offered to drive her to Khayelitsha police station.
She says due to social distancing during the coronavirus, she was required to speak loudly.
“I was hurt, I was just violated and the officer wanted me to shout what had happened. I could not do that, I left,” the young woman says.
She says a woman behind her in the line, Nana Samela, took pity on her and asked her what was wrong: “I told her what happened and she went back with me to the police officer and asked that they open a case for me.
“The male officer then said I must go home, not to bath and come back tomorrow.”
Nana says the officer’s conduct disgusted her, especially in light of the spate of gender-based violence crimes in the country.
“I drove her back home and posted about it on social media. After it trended, the police came at 4am to assist her with the case,” says Nana.
She says the victim went with the police to lay a charge.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said he was still awaiting a response from the station in question.