THOHOYANDOU - The Thohoyandou Victim Empowerment Programme (TVEP) recently discovered that a doctor operating from a private clinic in Thohoyandou had allegedly concealed the rape of a 5-year-old child.

According to a press statement by the TVEP, the doctor admitted that she had only agreed to examine the child if the case was not going to be reported to the police. The doctor allegedly also confirmed that she had found evidence that the child had been raped and she justified her silence on the basis that, as a private doctor, she could not afford to spend time in court, if the matter was reported to the police.

The family allegedly confirmed that they did not intend to report it, because it was a family matter.

Ms Fiona Nicholson of TVEP explained that the rape of a child can never be regarded as a "family matter", and that anyone who suspects that a child has been abused, is obliged by the law to report the matter to the police. She stressed that the TVEP is taking a zero tolerance attitude towards people who contravene this law, in particular doctors, nurses, teachers and social workers who are ethically bound to protect children and not to perpetuate their trauma by "covering up".

"Doctors who send a raped child back to the same environment without notifying the police should be struck off the medical register", Nicholson said.

According to the TVEP, the organisation has reported the doctor to both the SAPS and the Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA). "We have learned from the HPCSA that the doctor has not been registered as a doctor since June 2000, and has therefore been operating illegally for the past two years. This information has been passed on to the Department of Health for appropriate action," Nicholson said.

The TVEP's Trauma Centre at Tshilidzini attends to an average of 40 rapes per month, of which over 60% are children. The message must go out loud and clear that we are all responsible for combating this scourge, and keeping silent is never a solution", adds Nicholson.

The spokesperson for the police in the Far North, Capt Ailwei Mushavahanamadi, stated to Mirror that they have investigated the case, and that the doctor is now registered. He admitted that she had missed the payment of her register for a year or two, but that she is now a fully registered medical doctor. He also added that the doctor's action is not a criminal offence.