Rape of teen leads to protest at Phoenix hospital
Residents have been protesting outside a hospital in Phoenix, north of Durban, after a teenager was raped, allegedly by a fellow patient.
The 19-year-old is said to be a psychiatric patient at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital.
Jonathan Annipen, who organised the protest, says her parents came to him for help after receiving no answers from the facility.
"Up until today, we have facilitated an audience between the hospital PRO and the parents. They still refused to give the case number to the parent.
"In fact, the victim was then moved today without the parents' knowledge to another facility and all these things are taking place without the knowledge of the parents.
"They are concerned that the victim and the perpetrator were still at the hospital together up until today and not enough information is being given to the family about this incident.”
KwaZulu-Natal Health Department HOD Dr Sandile Tshabalala says the department is aware of the matter.
"The Department of Health does not at any stage admit patients of different sexes in the same ward. We also would like to dispute the fact that this matter is being hidden.
"This we are saying because in the occurrence book that is written by the security in the hospital, the matter is reported and as such, the matter is being followed up."
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