Hon House Chairperson, in response to Question 279, the Department of Health is committed to finding gender-based violence and takes the issue of rape and related offences very seriously. We believe that these cases receive urgent attention by our health professionals.
The issue of the collection of evidence using rape kits for both adults and children is important for us, since the conviction of perpetrators of sexual violence is critically dependent on the evidence that we have provided. Our forensic trained nurses and doctors collect evidence to assist the criminal justice system in the conviction of perpetrators. It is therefore our duty to ensure
that these rape kits are available at all times to execute this function. To this end we work very closely with the SA Police Service, SAPS.
The procurement of rape kits is the responsibility of the SA Police Service. These kits are physically brought by the SAPS to the health facilities for collection of evidence by health professionals during the examination of the survivors of sexual violence. The evidence collected by health professionals using these rape kits is then taken by the SAPS to the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory for DNA and analysis.
With regard to the second question, health professionals provide the following services to survivors of sexual violence: Physical examination, collection of forensic evidence using the J88 form, medico legal evidence comprising both documentation on the examination done and the DNA evidence collected during examination, in children laboratory's evidence on partially of particular sexually transmitted infection can also be used as evidence, reporting child abuse, neglect and exploitation to the Department of Social Development and SAPS where necessary, providing HIV testing and counselling which includes postexposure prophylaxis and also provision of prophylactic medication to
victims of rape which should be available 24 hours a day and patients should be prioritised irrespective of the nature of physical injuries amongst them, prevention of pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, prevention of hepatitis and tetanus, also the early detection of abuse and injuries on children and the referral of women and children to the Department of Social Development in the instance of their safety when its at risk to ensure that they are provided with a safe environment such as shelters, provision of comfort packs for rape victims, the referral of the patients to the psychiatrist and the psychologist to manage the emotional and psychological trauma, also to provide the safe environment through designated facilities which the Minister would publish on Government Gazette and this year we have about 281 of those that have been designated. Thank you very much, House Chairperson. [Applause.]
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