3.5. THE CHILD AT THE INTERSECTION OF FAMILY, CULTURE AND A CRIME: Patricia’s Story On the second occasion, her great aunt had left for Harare and the accused again came that same night and raped her. Again Patricia told her great aunt when she came back, but she told her to keep quiet. In February 2013, he again raped her and again she told her grandmother who ordered her not to say anything. In April, her great aunt left for Harare and she was away for two weeks. During that time the accused raped her twice. When one talks of rape, oftentimes one thinks of the girl or woman as the victim. With Patricia’s case, one is forced to revisit their understanding of who constitutes a victim in sexual violence matters. Patricia’s case brings to the fore the reality that rape and other sexual abuse seldom destroys just the primary victim, on just the girl or woman who experiences alone, it affects her mother, sister, grandmother father and wider family. Where the perpetrator is a family member often the family is destroyed as different family members take different sides. In other cases however, where a child is abused, the adult caregivers are often affected by guilt and this destroys their ability to cope or to support the victim effectively. When something then happens to the child in the aftermath of the rape, this impact becomes even worse as has been the case with Patricia’s grandmother. Patricia was now living with them because they said her grandmother had called and said she should now live with them. Patricia later realized her grandmother had in fact not told them any such thing. Patricia then told a neighbour what was happening and she referred her to an elderly woman in the area who told her to pack her belongings and leave the homestead and go and stay with a certain woman named Mrs K. Some people in the village then got together and confronted the accused but he denied ever raping Patricia. The matter was then reported to the chief who called him to explain himself and his conduct but he refused to go to the chief. The case was then reported to Headlands Police. Patricia was raped by Jeremiah who is her great aunt’s husband. In December 2012, Patricia’s grandmother’s sister- her great aunt, took her to her rural home for the December holidays and this is when her ordeal started. According to Patricia, her great aunt was only there for one week before she left home, leaving Patricia with the alleged perpetrator. That night while sleeping in her bedroom, her great uncle came into her room and told her that if she did not do as he wanted; he would chase her away as he was the one looking after her. He locked the door and hid the keys and then he proceeded to rape her. He took the blanket which had been soiled and went to the kitchen and washed it. When her great aunt came back, Patricia told her what had happened and she immediately started shouting at her, accusing Patricia of lying and denying that her The police then took her to hospital. The police officer then indicated that they would arrange to send Patricia back to her grandmother in Harare. The events that followed Patricia’s arrival back in Harare are tragic. In an example of how customary practices can and do lead to the perpetuation of the abuse suffered by a victim, Patricia was moved from pillar to post and neglected while the adults in her life fought their battles over her abuse, using customary norms and practices. husband would ever do anything like that. 23 19