Two raped, sexually assaulted every day in Zululand, stats show
63% of the 725 new cases reported involved youths and children aged 18 years or younger
ON average, over the past year more than two sexual assault or rape victims reported each day at the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) at Ngwelezana Hospital.
Shockingly, most (63%) of the 725 new cases reported involved youths and children aged 18 years or younger.
The figure was shared at LifeLine Zululand’s 29th Annual General Meeting, held at the Richards Bay Civic Centre on Saturday morning.
The organisation’s funded Victim Empowerment Programme at the TCC and at police stations in the uThungulu and uMhkanyakhude municipal districts, offers 24-hour crisis counselling, rape crisis support service and trauma debriefing free of charge to communities.
From these sources, LifeLine Zululand AGM stats also showed another 603 new sexual abuse and domestic violence cases at SAPS sites.
However, it was noted that increased numbers might well indicate more people are now aware of counselling services and feel freer to openly report crime such as rapes.
Crisis stats
LifeLine Counselling Desk statistics also showed a massive 1 633 face-to-face, email and crisis line engagements relating to trauma, crime and violence.
These included domestic violence, rape, accidents, assault, child abuse, hijacking, theft and robberies.
LifeLine’s Commercial Sex Workers programme, primarily promoting aids awareness and human rights in that sector, reached out to no fewer than 3 945 sex workers, of whom 622 attended risk reduction workshops and 111 were tested for HIV status.
Peer educators attended bi-weekly sessions, where it was found many had no school qualifications whatever and thus could not find meaningful employment or even apply for identity documents or grants.
Challenges met
Presenting her first annual report, Director Michelle Jewlal said LifeLine Zululand faced increasingly greater challenges.
These related to the harsh economic climate, high rate of youth unemployment and the drought effect, which all added to stress, trauma, violence, dysfunctional family units, depression and suicide.
At the same time, this made LifeLine’s services as a one-stop crisis intervention more essential, although this required a need to re-strategise.
At the AGM, the LifeLine Board of Management was re-elected en bloc for a further year in office: Dave Savides – Chairman, Mark Stevens – Vice Chairman, Faryal Luhar – Secretary, Judy Dearling – Treasurer, Cyril Thusi – Internal Relations and Sifiso Zulu – Staff Development.
