Authorities’ potential mishandling of alleged rape victim causes fury
Allegations a 26-year-old woman was ignored when she may have been a victim of crime after fearing her drink was spiked, caused uproar on Wednesday with the matter set to be tabled to parliament.
Rather than be seen by a doctor and examined for rape or other injuries, she was given a Covid-19 test and narcotest before allegedly told she should leave from Larnaca general hospital where she went for help.
“It is horrifying that a feared victim of rape or assault was ignored by people working in the front line,” Greens MP Efi Xanthou told the Cyprus Mail.
She said the party would be tabling the matter to parliament seeking to know what the exact procedure in these cases is – and if it wasn’t followed, why.
State health services (Okypy) limited itself to saying the matter was being investigated – but did not share at which stage it was, nor what the standard procedure in such instances is, when asked by the Cyprus Mail. It added no complaint had been filed to the organisation.
The case came to the fore from a Facebook post that alleged a woman went to Larnaca general hospital on Sunday after waking up with memory gaps and feeling terrible pain across her body.
Her apartment also appeared to have sustained damages – with reports suggesting neighbours had called police over a lot of noise.
The post alleged the woman went to the hospital expressing fear that her drink was spiked as she had gone out the previous night but did not consume a lot of alcohol (two or three drinks).
A Covid test and urine sample narcotest both came back negative. She was not examined for anything else, according to the post. The woman reportedly asked for an IV as she felt unwell and this was refused.
After given an unspecified injection to her thigh, she was told to leave and her request for a glass of water was met with a suggestion to go buy a bottle from the fridge.
She was told that if she wanted a different drug test that could detect hard drugs – which the narcotest cannot – she should go to the police.
Police officers were reportedly surprised the hospital did not carry out any more tests and prepared a letter for her, specifying she required more tests.
Back at the hospital, she waited for five more hours and after asking why there was a delay, a doctor allegedly blasted that they could not do more tests on her and if she wanted them she should call the state pathologist herself and ask.
The woman asked for the letter so she could go to another doctor, but the request was reportedly refused.
“Police simply did not do its job,” said director of the Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies Susana Pavlou.
“The law is very clear on how to treat (potential) victims of crime.”
When the hospital saw a potential victim of crime, they should have immediately alerted the police, Pavlou stressed. Additionally, even though the woman did not make a statement, officers were made aware of the situation the minute she walked in and told them about the tests she required.
“Police did not treat this as a crime.”
Meanwhile, Xanthou said it was horrifying that a feared victim or rape or assault was ignored by people working in the front line.
“Police should not have given her a letter for tests. They should have taken there herself and began an investigation.”
A spokesperson for the police said the woman was called in to make a statement but did not. It could not confirm reports that officers went to the apartment after neighbour’s reported a lot of noise and found another person in the flat, who was later called in for a statement.
“Women’s organisations are screaming that the protocols weren’t adhered to, while police haven’t batted an eyelid,” Xanthou said.