“Police added to my trauma”

A 19-year-old University of KwaZulu-Natal student who was allegedly raped at a party has told how police compounded her trauma. The student, who cannot be named, has alleged that police refused to help her when she tried to open the case in March. “They [the police] told me that because I agreed to go to the party, I was at fault. They made me feel so bad,” she said. The drama student said she was invited to a party at a lodge in Cato Ridge, outside Pietermaritzburg. She was told that this was for a 21st birthday of her former BSc classmate. “I didn’t want to go but they spent months convincing me to attend. I woke up in the afternoon with my jumpsuit torn. I was bleeding and I had bruises all over my body. I knew something bad had happened,” she said. She said when she went back to campus to alert her friends she was disoriented, and had trouble walking because of the pain and the drugs she was given. A close friend of the victim told Sowetan yesterday she was in church when she learnt of her friend’s alleged rape. “I went to her room and found her in a terrible state,” the friend said. He said he called the Alexandra police station in Pietermaritzburg and was told to take the victim to a doctor.

“I went to campus security to ask them to call an ambulance. A paramedic checked her and found that she had been sexually assaulted and he called the police,” he said.

He said police were unwilling to help. They then approached the university to open a case.

UKZN official Normah Zondo confirmed that internal disciplinary steps would be taken. Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane of the KZN police said the allegations would be investigated internally.

Meanwhile, a University of Fort Hare student accused of raping a fellow student in a car at the Alice campus after a night of partying on April 21 will know today if he will be granted bail or not.

The 23-year-old student appeared in the Alice Magistrate’s Court yesterday for a bail hearing. The university’s women empowerment organisation – Memeza Stand as One against Gender Based Violence – has called on the university to deal with the matter decisively.