Lilongwe — Women rape victims often do not report the crime because of the secondary violation they often experience when they have to explain what happened.

"I felt like a criminal and yet I went to report a crime committed against me!"

The words, spoken by a woman who went to a police station to report being raped rings true to my ears.

As I too enter the police station at Area 3 in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi on an investigation of the issue I come to an abrupt stop facing a counter that is barely five walking paces from the door.

There are a good number of people milling around and standing in front of the counter waiting to be attended to or waiting for responses to enquiries that they have made.

Behind the counter are at least four male police officers and one policewoman. All are very busy this Monday morning. There is a lot of activity behind the counter. Police asking to assist people and instructions being shouted around. This is a very busy place with a good number of people around.

One young policeman comes to ask if he can help me and I respond: "I would like to see someone from the Rape Victim Support Unit please," I make my request.

The place comes to a sudden stop and an abrupt hush descends on the place with all eyes turning to me. Those who did not hear my request ask someone what is going on or whisper; "What did she say?' Until I am being led away to the requested Unit, no one speaks or even moves. There is just a deathly silence, with many pairs of eyes watching me inquisitively. I feel exposed!

I have just experienced - first hand, what a rape survivor or anyone would have to endure on reporting a rape.

Reporting rape is the first step towards the person receiving any form of help, medical or legal yet, because of the fear of secondary victimization.

This is the step that many victims are unable to take.

Failure to report the crime means no medical assistance is received and the perpetrator is not brought to book for committing this crime.

Jessie* a 36 year old divorcée and the mother of one son is a rape survivor.

She was assaulted in January this year and still suffers the trauma that she experienced during and after the rape.

Several men broke into her house during the early morning hours and after selecting household goods to take away, they proceeded, one by one to rape her. "I am still traumatized by the rape, but also very angry at what I experienced when I went to report the crime," she says.

"Firstly, I had to tell the people who immediately came to my assistance.

Then I had to repeat myself to the police and had to tell the whole story again to the doctor on duty at the hospital." Jessie stops as she tries to get some control over her emotions and continues; "it is like being raped all over again to keep repeating the events."

According to her, the response of the doctor at the hospital was a violation in itself. "When I told him that I had been raped, he looked at me and laughed. It was almost as if he could not believe that a woman of my age could be a victim of rape. I am still so angry at how I was treated that I will never go to that hospital again," she says.

Fortunately, Jessie is well informed and demanded that she receive all the medication to help prevent any sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Being financially stable, she also was able to receive the counseling needed to address some of the emotional trauma.

"I am so angry with the system and how women are treated when reporting rape that I have decided no woman is going to experience what I went through if I can help it!" she says emotionally.

Jessie is now in the process of establishing a safe place. Hoping to work together with the police and some like-mined doctors, she says this will be a place where the environment is non-threatening for women who have been raped and sexually abused; where they can obtain immediate help and received counseling.

According to information received from the police Press and Public Relations Office (PRO) at the headquarters in area 30 Lilongwe, all 34 police stations across Malawi do not have a special desk to accommodate reports of rape.

Rather they have "Victim Support Unit officers where cases of violence against women and girls and general gender-based violence cases are reported and handled."

Sub Inspector Khalidwelawo Jamali of the PRO confirmed in a questionnaire that the offices have police officers who are trained to deal with the survivors of rape.

"These offices are given skills through various trainings, i.e. counseling of victims, first aid and conflict management." He also confirmed; "the victim is given first aid if at all it is required and later the victim is sent to the hospital for a medical examination with a view of having professional evidence that would be adduced in the court of law during any prosecution."

However, in the police stations visited, the point of entry for access to the Victim Support Unit is the common public reception counter where one is asked what assistance they require.

In this public place, one has to tell the police officer what assistance they need in order to be directed to the appropriate office. Often the trauma, shame, and fear experienced make it very difficult for a woman to report the crime in such a public place.

Rather than be subjected to further trauma, shame and fear of reprisal, survivors will rather not report the crime at all but turn away at the counter.

According to Jessie, this is how she was treated when she reported the rape to the police and the hospital.

Inspector Patricia Njawiri who is responsible for the Victim Support Unit offices at Area 3 police station agrees that this is a challenge faced by the police and the survivors. Njawiri also spoke of the difficulties the department experiences because of insufficient personal and lack of transport to help victims.

"Sometimes the trained police officer is assigned to other duties and this leaves an untrained officer to deal with the report." This, she said resulted in the proper procedures not being followed.

Due to a lack of transport, rape victims are sent to the hospital with a police officer using public transport. "This delays the victim receiving treatment and in cases where the hospital report shows that the victim is not properly treated with Post Exposure Prophylactic (PEP) and treatment for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), the victim has to return to the hospital. This causes further delays in accessing help and treatment," Njawiri said.

She is concerned that the further delay puts the victim at higher risk of being infected with HIV and STIs.

Njawiri says there is also concern about the number of cases that are not reported. "Many cases are not reported because of the person who has committed the crime. It could be a step-father or a close relative, and because of the fear of bringing shame to the family, rape is not reported," she said.

Often mothers who report the rape of a child by a husband will not proceed to having the man charged because of fear of the reprisal from the man as well as the community. "At times the woman will ask us to only caution the husband so that he will not do it again, but she will refuse to place charges because of the shame. Fear of divorce, beating, and the bread winner being sent to prison are some of the reasons women will not places charges," lamented Njawiri.

The building of a complex that is some distance away and more private but within the same vicinity of the Area 3 police station may be the answer to the challenges for both the victims of rape as well as for the police.

The unit comprising of two large rooms, one to accommodate women, and one to accommodate boys. Additionally there is a kitchen for meal preparation, offices for the police, doctors' examination rooms, and counseling rooms that have just been completed.

Waiting to be furnished and staffed, the Unit is expected to be operational 'soon'. The unit will provide a more comfortable atmosphere that is reassuring and safe in order to help provide the victims with the better assistance.

The medical examination rooms will ensure that medical assessment is swift and all HIV and STI preventative measures given within the least time possible. Medical examination documents will also be provided for reference in the case of court prosecution.

The counseling provided is expected to help the survivor to deal with the emotional and physical trauma experienced. It would also help give support in the preparation for court proceedings.

"This will make it easier for the police and others involved in keeping track of the process of the rape crime in order to have good follow up."

By providing all the required assistance to a rape victim under one roof in a more private and secure environment, it is expected that this will encourage more women to come forward to report the crime and continue the process to conviction.

Neighbouring South Africa has a significantly rate of sexual violence against women and children. Providing a safe environment for sexual assault or rape victims in order to fight and stop the crime has become the aim of the government there.

With the assistance of interested international organizations like USAID, special Rape Crisis Centers provide help to victims. The centers provide comprehensive medical examination and counseling as well as police and investigation services.

The Centers are staffed by an on-site coordinator, a medical doctor, a nurse, a social worker, a victim assistance officer and a police officer who is available at all times. The reported rape is assigned a case monitor who will follow it to its conclusion.

As the victim assistance officer explains the procedures that has to be performed including the medical examination and the complaints filing process, the case monitor ensures that all documents are available and in order, ready for presentation if required.

The site coordinator plays an important role in ensuring that all the different department are working together smoothly and all services are provided properly and in an appropriate manner in order to avoid secondary victimization

A woman using the center will enter the front door to report the rape and when she leaves it is expected that everything has been done according to laid down procedure. It then only remains to proceed with the case in court.

Although there are still many cases that are not reported in South Africa, the opening of Rape Crisis Centers have improved the number of cases reported and brought to court.

There is a possibility that the provision of safe places of such a kind in Malawi may be what is needed to encourage women to report rape and sexual abuse.

Given the current problems faced by women to report rape, will the "One Stop" Rape Crisis Centers help to ensure that many more cases are reported and taken through to final conviction? This remains to be seen!

Rape and any sexual violence is a violation of human rights. The offence possesses a serious public health problem that continues to receive unsatisfactory attention from government, policy makers, religious leaders as well as the communities.

Until the politicians and other decision makers within society have the political will and motivation to address the criminal issue of rape in Malawi, the crime will continue being unreported and not receive the attention that it deserves.

* Not real name

Pushpa Jamieson is the Editor of the Health Check newspaper and writes extensively on HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as well as Reproductive Health.