A Durban mother was given the run-around when she tried to report a sexual assault on her four-year-old daughter.
|||Durban - A Durban mother was given the run-around when she tried to report a sexual assault on her four-year-old daughter, a process which took them an agonisingly long eight hours.
The mother works for Isipingo resident Cheryl Watts who said she received a frantic phone call on Tuesday. The incident allegedly took place between 2pm and 4pm.
The child was examined by the district surgeon who said there was no penetration. Watts believes the child may have been sexually molested while she was out playing.
Watts said she drove to KwaMakhutha to fetch the mother and daughter. “I took the underwear and placed it in a packet to show the police and the doctors. We then went to the nearest private surgeon, but he said we must go to Prince Mshiyeni. There were three sisters on duty. I told them that we had a rape victim and we needed help urgently. They told us that a doctor would not come out from Durban and we must take her to Addington Hospital.”
Shocked by this attitude, they left, eventually finding a doctor. “He made phone calls to the Isipingo police station and Prince Mshiyeni,” said Watts.
The three then went to Isipingo police station where they were redirected to KwaMakhutha police station.
“When we arrived we were told to go back to a doctor to confirm that a rape had taken place. I then complained to the station commander. It was late at night and nobody wanted to help us.
“The police then escorted us to Addington Hospital, but we had to divert as we were told that a doctor had been waiting for us at Prince Mshiyeni.
“When we arrived at Mshiyeni the nurses asked why we came late at night, why didn’t we wait until the morning.”
Prince Mshiyeni’s spokeswoman, Nonkululeko Ngcobo, confirmed the girl, her mother and Watts came to the hospital but denied they were turned away.
“A doctor is on duty from 7.30am to 4pm. After hours there is no doctor on duty, but a doctor is on call. When they arrived they were already angry. Nurses tried to explain that they had to wait because the doctor had to be called, but they stormed out.”
amanda.khoza@inl.co.za
Sunday Tribune