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Many local magistrate's courts have already benefited from the care boxes. From the left to right are local court child intermediary Salome Phaho and Christiane van Heerden. Photo supplied.

Care boxes go a long way in helping victims

Date: 21 November 2014 By: Isabel Venter

Rape is a horror most people will have difficulty to overcome and cope with.

Just imagine, then, what a nightmarish ordeal it has to be for a little girl or boy. Yes, in Limpopo even boys, sadly, can become the helpless victims of rape and have to face their abuser again in court.

In her day-to-day tasks as a pastor and counsellor of the Emmanuel Church in Louis Trichardt, as well the headmaster of the Emmanuel Kinderland Preschool, Christiane van Heerden has come across many heartbreaking cases of abuse. Many of the survivors have suffered sexual abuse and rape by a close friend or relative.

Worse even, when she started researching rape cases in Limpopo, Christiane realized that most rapists or abusers committed their first crime when they themselves were still underaged. “Why is this possible? Cases do not get to court, and when they do, it can mean a potentially traumatizing experience to the child and the family,” explains Christiane.  

Most rapists, says Christiane, are serial rapists and seeing them severely punished for their crime will act as a deterrent for would-be rapists. There are, however, many aspects that could lead to the unsuccessful trial of a perpetrator.

Christiane has found that the biggest struggle in child abuse cases is that children are ashamed and not supported. “Also, at court, the young abuse survivors face many challenges,” says Christiane. Children who have to relive their trauma often have to wait long hours, having never met their court intermediary. They then have to face long hours of cross-examination. “Often, girls and boys will be too shy and close up totally, so their testimony cannot be validated and, subsequently, the case cannot go to trial.”

As a solution, Christiane came up with a method which utilises care boxes to bring comfort to children who have to testify and help them relax. These boxes contains a new cuddly soft toys to help the intermediary form an immediate connection with the victim. Furthermore, the boxes contain a high-quality fruit juice, snacks, sticker activities, a colouring book and crayons. Different boxes have been designed for boys and girls.

In some cases, the colouring book has been used to verify whether a child understands the concepts of a truth and a lie, which is essential for testimony to be accepted in court. The juices and snacks have also come in handy, for there are some cases where children come to court hungry and quickly tire during the trial.

Every box also contains a message for the victim, letting them know that they are special.

“Yes, the road to recovery is a long one. Yes, a box full of helpful comforting items is just a tiny stepping stone on that long road of healing, but it is an important one. This box aids the young children’s capacity to testify in court against their abusers,” said Christiane.

People who can assist Christiane in her project are welcome to phone her at Tel 083 824 9359.

 
 
 

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Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

 
 

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