Rape victim in double tragedy

By Paidamoyo Chipunza

A rape victim from Rusape has called for relaxation of existing abortion laws which she blamed for carrying a pregnancy she did not want and had not planned for up to nine months.

The teenager, who was raped by an adult and father of three from her village on her way from school, said her family tried all it could to get legal abortion without success.

“We left school together with other pupils, but along the way each pupil took a different direction towards their home. The school is far from our village and the route is also bushy,” said Tatenda Mawera (not her real name).

“This man took advantage of the bush and dragged me by the roadside before raping me. I had already separated from other pupils and was walking alone home,” she recalled.

Tatenda, who was in Grade Six, said when she got home she reported the incident to her mother who along with her father proceeded to make a report to the police.

She said the matter was reported to the police within two weeks.

Unfortunately, she said the police could not give her transport vouchers to enable her to travel to the Department of Social Welfare in Rusape where she was to get a letter that would enable her to access free services from Rusape General Hospital.

These services, which include a pregnancy scan were to inform doctors’ decision to legally terminate the pregnancy.

“The police said transport vouchers were no longer useful in public transport and my parents failed to raise the needed bus fare.

“However, they eventually gave us the vouchers which we then used, but the pregnancy was already six months and doctors said it was no longer possible to terminate it,” said Tatenda.

She said on the other hand, the culprit who raped her went into hiding with reports indicating that he could be in Harare.

“The man has not been arrested. Police keep saying they will find and arrest him.

“We do not know where he is, but rumour has it that he is in Harare. His wife used to be at his home, but she has left now,” said Tatenda.

Tatenda, who is now waiting to deliver at Nyanga District Hospital said all she wanted was termination of the pregnancy to enable her to proceed with her education.

She also want justice to be done on the culprit who raped her.

In Zimbabwe, termination of pregnancy is only allowed in specific circumstances which include the pregnancy posing serious threat to the woman’s health or when the foetus was conceived as a result of rape or incest.

Latest statistics from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Office (Zimstat) show that at least 22 women are raped every day in Zimbabwe, more than 60 percent of which include children under the age of 16 years.

However, women activists say few manage to terminate pregnancies successfully even in permitted cases owing to strict regulations, resulting in some women opting for illegal abortions.

Nyanga district hospital matron, Mrs Dorothy Toma said abortion was one of the top five causes of admission in the female ward.

She said it was difficult to tell whether the abortions were spontaneous or induced.

“Two days ago, we discharged three patients from the female ward, one of which seemed to have induced the abortion.

“On further inquiries, the mother said the girl was still in school and she was impregnated by a relative forcing her to carry the abortion,” said Sister Toma.

She, however, said the mother professed ignorance on possibility of terminating the pregnancy legally since it was a result of an incestuous relationship.

Sister Toma also revealed that the girl was seeking medical attention for the second time after another abortion last year.

UNFPA programme analyst for family planning, sexual and reproductive health and HIV integration Mrs Daisy Nyamukapa expressed concern over unsafe abortions saying they lead to complications including deaths in some instances.

She said to avert these complications and deaths, women were encouraged to use available different family planning methods. The Herald