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By Shakirah Thebus 
15h ago
Cape Town – A woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted and gutted last week in Green Point is still recovering at New Somerset Hospital after surgery.
The incident occurred on Saturday, December 26, off Portswood Road, Green Point.
Last week, the police had no record of the incident according to police spokesman Andre Traut. Traut could not confirm whether the police had visited the victim a week after the incident occurred.
However, the Health Department confirmed that the woman, who matches the description, is stable in the hospital.
Health Department spokeswoman Maret Lesch confirmed that the 39-year-old patient was admitted to New Somerset Hospital on December 26.
She said: “The patient had been assaulted and had suffered multiple serious injuries that required surgery. It is currently in a stable condition ”.
Traut said an investigation was conducted with the Cape Town FCS (Family Violence, Child Protection and Sex Crimes Unit), which had no knowledge of the incident. The Cape Town and Sea Point police stations also had no record of the incident.
Manenberg crime and gender-based violence activist Roegchanda Pascoe said victims often do not go through the process of filing a criminal complaint or charge against the perpetrator, due to secondary victimization by police.
“Sometimes victimization in police stations, the way they approach the victim contributes to the trauma,” he said.
“When the victim is not seen by someone who is qualified … the officer is perhaps a male … you are just adding to what the victim is trying to get rid of or process.”
Pascoe said the doctor or physician has a responsibility to immediately alert police in the event that a victim of sexual assault or rape enters a hospital. The victim can then decide whether to press charges or not.
“It must be recorded that a rape victim entered. If it is a minor, there is no option. A prosecution must be carried out and the child must be moved to a safe place.”
The Reverend June Major hosts weekly online conversations with survivors of sexual assault.
Major, who herself is fighting for justice in her own rape case, said: “Unfortunately, violence against women and children no longer shocks people. This is unacceptable. This woman has a name, she is a person and our silence about it fuels this evil pandemic of gender violence.
“Silence becomes a breeding ground for the perpetrators. When we are silent about these atrocities, we are just as guilty as the perpetrators. We have to break the silence. “
Cape argus
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