“System failed our children”
Teddy Bear Clinic boss pokes holes in police investigation
A senior female official should have been assigned to probe allegations of sexual assault at a Soweto school to avoid repeating the trauma two of the victims experienced.
This is the view of Shaheda Omar‚ clinical director of the Teddy Bear Clinic‚ after allegations surfaced that a single male police officer molested two victims of alleged sexual assault on Monday.
The officer‚ who is stationed with the family violence‚ child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit‚ allegedly forced two primary school children to undress in a classroom and molested them.
He went to the school to prepare them for the upcoming case against a school patroller who allegedly sexually assaulted 87 children at the same school last year.
Omar said it appeared that police did not follow the best practice model in undertaking the forensic investigation.
“It was a male who inflicted the trauma. Another male was assigned to conduct forensic investigations at the school on Monday,” said Omar.
“The FCS unit should have considered whether the person who was assigned was the best person for the task.
“It should have been someone the children would have been comfortable with.”
Omar said the police should also have informed the parents that the children would be interviewed.
“My concern is how we can bring children again on board as the trust has been broken. The system, which is meant to protect, has failed our children,” said Omar.
Meanwhile, the police have asked the public to allow the necessary space to investigate the allegations.