Patient raped in mental hospital

THE Ministry of Health has launched an investigation into the alleged rape of a patient in the State Psychiatric hospital in Windhoek on Tuesday.

A 21-year-old mentally handicapped female patient was allegedly raped by another patient – a prisoner, also reportedly mentally handicapped. It is unclear from official information how the alleged suspect obtained access to the victim, as prisoners are usually locked up under Police guard in the separate Forensic Psychiatry section of the hospital.According to Ministry officials and Police, no witnesses to the crime have been found, but sources at the hospital and family members of the victim have all charged that the suspect was not only found inside the woman’s room, but also readily admitted to having committed the crime.”I did it because I was hungry [for a woman] …,” a family member of the victim recounted the alleged words of the suspect as told to them by a doctor dealing with her niece’s case.Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Norbert Forster, on Friday acknowledged that the Ministry had launched an investigation.He said the investigation was being hampered by the fact that neither the alleged victim nor her alleged rapist could be interviewed because of their mental state.However, doctors, nurses and ward security guards had been ordered to make written statements, Forster said.These would be forwarded to the Health Professions Council of Namibia for further investigation.Furthermore, the family of the victim are yet to lay criminal charges against the suspect with the Namibian Police.When contacted last week, family members said they were ignorant of what procedures to follow, saying they would wait for the woman’s mother to come to Windhoek from the North before proceeding with the case.By yesterday they had still not laid any charges, despite the mother having arrived.They said yesterday that they tried to file a case on Saturday, but were referred to the Police’s Woman and Child Protection Unit.The Unit is only open to the public on weekdays.Despite this, however, Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu said on Friday that Police had already started investigating the allegations last week, and were set to continue this investigation on Friday.Sources at the hospital have reported that both the victim and suspect have already been tested for HIV-AIDS, and that both have been declared negative.The woman has since been moved to another ward, which Forster said was more secure.This incident came only two days after a public outcry last week over alleged negligence at another public health facility in Windhoek.In that incident, which happened last Sunday, a three-day-old baby died of snakebite, apparently because health workers failed to recognise and treat her symptoms as an emergency.The Ministry is investigating that incident too.On Friday, the Medical and Dental Council and the Nursing Council of Namibia announced they too had decided to launch an investigation into the snakebite incident.”The Medical and Dental Council of Namibia …and the Nursing Council of Namibia…sadly took note of the unfortunate incident in which the life of a three-day-old baby was lost at the Katutura State Hospital Casualty on 16 February 2008 after being bitten by a poisonous snake.As part of the functions of these councils to protect the public in terms …of the Medical and Dental Act, 2004 and …of the Nursing Act, 2004, the councils have the power to investigate allegations of negligent or unprofessional conduct by healthcare professionals registered under the provisions of the above Acts,” the councils announced in a statement.The councils urged members of the public who had witnessed the event to approach the councils.The number to call is (061) 24 5586.It is unclear from official information how the alleged suspect obtained access to the victim, as prisoners are usually locked up under Police guard in the separate Forensic Psychiatry section of the hospital.According to Ministry officials and Police, no witnesses to the crime have been found, but sources at the hospital and family members of the victim have all charged that the suspect was not only found inside the woman’s room, but also readily admitted to having committed the crime.”I did it because I was hungry [for a woman] …,” a family member of the victim recounted the alleged words of the suspect as told to them by a doctor dealing with her niece’s case.Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Norbert Forster, on Friday acknowledged that the Ministry had launched an investigation.He said the investigation was being hampered by the fact that neither the alleged victim nor her alleged rapist could be interviewed because of their mental state.However, doctors, nurses and ward security guards had been ordered to make written statements, Forster said.These would be forwarded to the Health Professions Council of Namibia for further investigation.Furthermore, the family of the victim are yet to lay criminal charges against the suspect with the Namibian Police. When contacted last week, family members said they were ignorant of what procedures to follow, saying they would wait for the woman’s mother to come to Windhoek from the North before proceeding with the case.By yesterday they had still not laid any charges, despite the mother having arrived.They said yesterday that they tried to file a case on Saturday, but were referred to the Police’s Woman and Child Protection Unit.The Unit is only open to the public on weekdays.Despite this, however, Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu said on Friday that Police had already started investigating the allegations last week, and were set to continue this investigation on Friday.Sources at the hospital have reported that both the victim and suspect have already been tested for HIV-AIDS, and that both have been declared negative.The woman has since been moved to another ward, which Forster said was more secure.This incident came only two days after a public outcry last week over alleged negligence at another public health facility in Windhoek.In that incident, which happened last Sunday, a three-day-old baby died of snakebite, apparently because health workers failed to recognise and treat her symptoms as an emergency.The Ministry is investigating that incident too.On Friday, the Medical and Dental Council and the Nursing Council of Namibia announced they too had decided to launch an investigation into the snakebite incident.”The Medical and Dental Council of Namibia …and the Nursing Council of Namibia…sadly took note of the unfortunate incident in which the life of a three-day-old baby was lost at the Katutura State Hospital Casualty on 16 February 2008 after being bitten by a poisonous snake.As part of the functions of these councils to protect the public in terms …of the Medical and Dental Act, 2004 and …of the Nursing Act, 2004, the councils have the power to investigate allegations of negligent or unprofessional conduct by healthcare professionals registered under the provisions of the above Acts,” the councils announced in a statement.The councils urged members of the public who had witnessed the event to approach the councils.The number to call is (061) 24 5586.