Man seeks R920K for police cell rape
December 3 2013 at 11:30am
By Sharika Regchand
By Sharika Regchand
Durban -
A man who was
raped in a police cell six years ago, when he was 17, suffered lasting trauma
that affected his school work and mental health, the Pietermaritzburg High
Court heard on Monday.
He is now suing
the minister of safety and security for R920 000.
The minister
has conceded liability, but not the amount to be paid out.
The man was
arrested for theft in October 2007, along with two others, and detained in the
Pongola police station cells. He was raped by a 43-year-old cell mate.
Clinical
psychologist Zanele Khumalo said when she interviewed the man, he had
diminished concentration levels, was unable to think clearly and had dropped
out of school because he feared that his co-accused would reveal to everyone
that he had been raped.
At the time of
the rape he was in Grade 9.
“The
psychological scars are something that will live with him for the rest of his
life,” she said.
Although she
recommended 40 sessions of psychological treatment, she said it could be more
or less, depending on his progress. Each session cost R700 and that would
increase by 6 percent next year.
She said the
incident had delayed his earning capacity because he had dropped out of school
and, when he enrolled at another, he failed.
It also
resulted in his entering the job market late.
Court papers
said the rape took place because police failed to take steps to ensure his
safety and to ensure that he was not detained with adults.
They also
failed to monitor the condition of the detainees.
The case
continues on Tuesday.
The Mercury
