Traumatised by sex crimes, SA’s doctors shun victims
Report finds attitude of some medical professionals contributes to rape crisis
MANY doctors are reluctant to take on rape cases because they fear the courtroom and are horrified by the brutality of the crime, thus contributing to South Africa’s dismal conviction rate for sexual offences.
Overstretched health workers and police also fail to prioritise sexual assault — with some male doctors refusing to treat rape patients.
These are among the findings of research conducted by the Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, an NGO fighting violence against women.
Rape convictions are heavily dependent on medico-legal evidence, collected by doctors or forensic nurses, which includes DNA, blood on clothing, hair samples and signs of violence.
South Africa seems to be fighting a losing battle against sexual offences. Of the 62 649 cases reported to the police in 2013-14, only 5 484 — less than 9% — resulted in convictions.
While most rapes occur at night, the Tshwaranang research released this month found that victims are met by locked doors at medical facilities or have to wait hours to be examined.
One nurse who asked a male doctor to see a rape patient reported being told: “No, I hate it. I hate to examine where another man has been.”
The reluctance extends to female medics as well. Dr Genine Josias, medical co-ordinator at a one-stop rape centre in Khayelitsha, has seen many colleagues quit rape care over the years.
“You can walk away from a broken arm case but here there are little girls, boys or women being raped,” she said.
“Some people expect you to work as if it doesn’t touch you. If you don’t have empathy they say you have no feelings.
“Something I see with my male doctors is the minute they fathered a child, especially if it was a girl, they stopped working in the field. They fear it all the time. It starts to affect their family, their relationship with their partners. The minute it touches them in the home they move on to another field.”
Doctors also find the prospect of giving evidence in court daunting. “I have another doctor who comes from North West and his life was threatened by a perpetrator. He had to leave his job and relocate to the Western Cape,” said Josias.
A GP told the Sunday Times about being called to testify in a rape case three years after examining the patient. “I found it disturbing because I didn’t even know that this was my function,” she said.
Doctors avoided going to court “like the plague”, she said.
Part of the problem doctors face is that hospitals lack specialist staff, so all practitioners are asked to assist.
Professor Ames Dhai, director of the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, believes every student doctor should be trained in rape care.
“Doctors are bound by the oath. Not wanting to go to court because it is going to erode their time is not in line with their principles,” she said.
Dhai said the Health Professions Council of South Africa should make rape care part of professional training.
The Department of Health did not respond to requests for comment.
Of the 62 649 cases reported . . . only 5 484 resulted in convictions You can walk away from a broken arm but here little girls are being raped