More trauma for raped gran
Police laughed, instead of helping her
AS IF THE trauma of being raped and beaten was not enough for a Verulam grandmother, she was fobbed off by “disinterested” policemen this week.
Adding to her torment was the five-hour wait before the police eventually escorted her to the local district surgeon for an examination, which should be done as soon as possible.
The woman, who is diabetic, and was badly injured, cannot be named. She waited helplessly as members of SAPS Ndwedwe and Verulam allegedly refused to assist, claiming her address didn’t fall in their jurisdiction.
The victim has lived with her husband, who was also beaten during the attack, on a smallholding in Oakford since their marriage, 43 years ago.
The attack happened at around 2am on Wednesday.
Members of SAPS Ndwedwe eventually helped her around 9am.
She was later forced to confront the suspect, face-toface, during an identification process, the same afternoon.
The victim and her family were upset that she was not shielded from the suspect, when she pointed him out in a tiny room at the station.
“That was unacceptable, what if the suspect seeks retribution, because he saw her and other family members during the process?
“Dealing with the rape and the attack of my in-laws was traumatic in itself. How police handled things thereafter was unacceptable,” said the victim’s daughter-in-law.
She alleged two Verulam policemen arrived at the home after the incident was reported but refused to enter.
“They didn’t check if the suspect was still on the premises. They drove off without advising us on what we needed to do.”
She also claimed various calls were later made to both stations to have the victim moved to the district surgeon at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, but were frustrated by the lack of empathy from the police.
“I eventually got to speak to a policeman from Verulam. He identified himself as a high-ranking officer.
“When I requested police move my mother-in-law to hospital, he laughed.”
She said calls had been made to the SAPS’s top brass, which led to both stations eventually offering to help.
The family will lodge their complaints with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
The victim said there was a power outage at her home around midnight, and at 2am she heard a knock on her bedroom window. “I heard a male asking for money. I said I didn’t have any.”
She said the man was persistent and eventually broke the window pane. She alerted her husband, 69. The attacker then began to break down a door to gain entry.
“My husband and I tried to shut the door, but he kept stabbing my husband with a spear through gaps between the door and the frame.
“This went on for about 30 minutes. We were eventually overpowered and the man gained entry.”
Once inside, the attacker demanded money. The woman took two notes from her purse and handed them to him.
“He demanded more and began to assault my husband with a wooden baton, a metal rod and a spear at different times. At one point my husband tried to fight back with a whip, but the man took it and whipped both of us.”
When the attacker began to drag the woman into nearby bush, her husband, who was already disoriented from the beating and the blood loss, was powerless to help his wife.
“I managed to break free from his grip. As I ran, I tripped and fell. He dragged me further into the bush. I pleaded with him to let me go. I told him I was old enough to be his grandmother, but he was merciless and raped me.”
The woman sought help from her neighbours. Her husband was hospitalised and is in a stable condition.
Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed a 43-yearold man appeared in the Ndwedwe Magistrates’ Court and faced house robbery and rape charges. The matter was adjourned to later this month for a formal bail application.
Zwane did not respond to allegations of poor conduct by SAPS members.
Jenny Bell, manager at women’s rights group Justice and Women, said it was not uncommon for rape victims to be treated in this way.
“Therefore, many women are reluctant to report rape incidents. While some police stations treat rape victims with respect and care, others don’t. It’s that kind policing that needs attention.”