PETALING JAYA: Women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri will look into the procedures at One Stop Crisis Centres (OSCC) after an alleged rape victim was purportedly given the runaround when seeking help.
Responding to a viral Twitter post, Nancy said she will have to verify the SOPs at the OSCCs, which are located in the emergency rooms of all government hospitals, since they did not come under her purview.
“I thought the police should have been at the OSCC, too. Since it is not within our ministry’s purview, I will have to reconfirm the procedure,” she told FMT.
In a Twitter posting, she maintained that the SOPs should prioritise the well-being of victims, taking into account the trauma and vulnerability they would be experiencing.
Earlier today, Twitter user @serensespagetthi said she had directed a friend to bring a rape victim to the OSCC of their nearest government hospital, on the advice of the NGO, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO).
This was to ensure the victim could be helped and the necessary evidence could be collected as soon as possible, she said in a series of posts.
However, she claimed the victim was denied entry into the OSCC and was told to lodge a police report first, saying this did not tally with WAO’s instructions.
“I had to argue with hospital staff over the phone to let the victim see a doctor for a medical exam, as time would be wasted and evidence could be lost if the victim wasn’t given access to the OSCC.
“Eventually, the victim was let in to see a doctor. Disappointingly, the victim still didn’t receive a medical exam. She was only given emergency contraception and antibiotics for potential STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).”
Separately, health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa told FMT that she will be looking into the case. - FMT
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