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This is Zenizole Vena(15) who was raped by 5 boys for 4 days, they deprived her food.
She escaped and made it to Motherwell Clinic where nurses told her to go open a case cause they don’t deal with rape victims, cops will take her to a hospital.
She died opening the case. An investigation by the health ombud has found there was negligence in how a 15-year-old rape victim was handled by staff at Motherwell Clinic in Gqeberha, where she first sought help before she died.
Health ombud Prof Taole Mokoena released findings of the investigation in Pretoria on Tuesday.
His probe had sought to ascertain if Zenizole Vena died as a result of neglect, was denied care at the clinic and whether the clinic staff failed to refer her to the next level of care.
A complaint had been lodged by the DA’s shadow minister of health, Michéle Clarke, in September 2022.
Mokoena found that Vena had reported to the clinic while in a dire condition, accompanied by an elderly woman, after suffering a horrific rape.
“There is often an abuse of that time period of 48 hours. Because during that 48 hours they not allowed to just keep you there for the 48 hours and do nothing. They actually have to actively take steps to verify your ID.”
“If you say my ID or my documentation or my refugee passport is at home, they are supposed to take you home to go and verify. But they don’t do that, the police take people, they drive around in the vans and wait for you to cave and solicit bribes before releasing you. And we found that to happen so often,” explains Mia.
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