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Dec 1st, 2010 | By Bokwe | Category: CSI

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The Jules High School girl who accused two teenage boys of gang raping her, will forever be haunted by the memory of her accusations. For the two boys – aged 14 and 16 – who have now been charged with Consensual Sexual Penetration by the National Prosecuting Authority along with the 15-year-old girl, their childhood whims will be embedded in their memories forever. This case is just one of hundreds that The Teddy Bear Clinic (TTBC) for Abused Children deals with on a monthly basis. TTBC was established in 1986 in response to an urgent need for medical examinations for sexually abused children, an area that Research Stats Manager Sheri Errington describes as a highly specialised field.
Since its establishment, the organisation has grown into a fully fledged service for abused children, providing services such as forensic examinations and assessments, counseling, psychological testing and more recently, a diversion programme for young sexual offenders. With the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign in full swing, organisations like TTBC are on a mission to have their voices heard about the plight of victims of sexual and physical abuse.
200 cases monthly
TTBC deals with 160 to 200 new cases of suspected abuse every month and according to Errington, their statistics are higher than those of the police, something she attributes to the under reporting of cases by victims. “A lot of our clients do not report cases to the police, mainly because the abuse is based on suspicion and has not yet been confirmed, or because they are unable to recognize the signs of abuse,” said Errington, who adds that not being able to recognise abuse is often due to a lack of education and awareness, especially among children.
Thirty percent of children throughout the world are either physically or sexually abused, with South Africa following the same trend, says Errington. Two thirds of their clients are girls and only a third are boys. “Girls are more vulnerable than boys,” she said. “Boys are not easily recognisable as abuse victims. They are also brought up in a society where they are not supposed to be victims so the stigma for them is much bigger.”
TTBC supports abused child through the criminal justice system to ensure psychological healing takes place and to ensure that the child is able to fulfill their role as a valuable member of society without the scarring that may perpetuate child abuse in the future. They are able to do this through forensic medical examinations, supportive therapy, forensic evaluations, psychological testing and a court programme for children and parents, for cases that go to court.
“We offer a holistic range of services that deal with every aspect of child abuse. We are able to manage all aspects of the case, support the client from every angle,” Errington explained. “We are able to prepare them for court using role plays to try to ease the anxiety and let them know that the outcome is not a reflection of whether we believe them or not.”
With the organisation celebrating 25 years of existence in 2011, Errington said they will be advocating for perpetrators to serve a sentence of 25 years to life in prison for severe cases of child abuse. “A lot of variations in sentencing occur in court when abuse cases are heard. Some perpetrators get 6 months and others 12 years for example. So we need to see some consistency.”
Implementation
While South Africa may have an excellent constitution and progressive legislation pertaining to children, Errington says implementing that legislation is a problem.
“The problem is the lack of capacity and resources needed in implementing that legislation” she said. “The lack of resources is holding us back at the moment, but there are a number of people in various sectors dedicated to making it work. The Child Justice and Children’s Acts have the child’s best interest at heart, but we need more social workers and probation officers.”
She added that the 16 Days of Activism provides an excellent platform for organisations to create awareness about the rights of the abused. “Organisations such as ours are advocating 365 days a year, but the campaign provides a good opportunity for us to create awareness and promote the services that we provide. Awareness is definitely raised and it gives NGOs an opportunity to share information about abuse; what it is and how it happens.”
TTBC also conducts outreach programmes, where they give talks to schools and offer training to educators, police, prosecutors, magistrates and other service providers. “When we go to schools and talk to kids about safe and unsafe touches, it is then that they realise that they [are being] abused, they just never knew who to tell and how to disclose,” she explained.
According to Errington, abuse can be stopped if caught early. “If we intervene early we can prevent what is happening and we can break the cycle of abuse,” she said. BUANEWS

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http://www.vocfm.co.za/index.php?section=news&category=vocnews&article=55570

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