Readers' Speakout

READERS SPEAKOUT
Drug rape or too much booze? 8 July 2009
From: M
Sent: 08 July 2009 12:53 PM
To: speakout@global.co.za

Good day,

I do not know how to start this letter, but here goes….

Today 08th July 2009 my mother phoned me and told me the following story:

My sister went out to the opening of a restaurant last week and Thursday night.

My mom heard my sister came back from the party, and left it there. The following morning my mom went to wake my sister up to go to work, the next moment my sister came running into the kitchen asking my mom what happened to her.

My sisters face was bruised and her nose was broken. She also complained about a severe head ache and memory loss.

My sister could not remember anything from a certain time the previous evening.

My mom took her to the doctor and he confirmed that her nose was broken and that she had “harsing skudding”.

  My mom also told me that my sister was so out of it that she urinated on the floor in her room during the night and she did not even knew about it, till the next morning.

My mom took my sister to the doctor after the guy that brought my sister home told my mom that my sister fell out of his car, but they did not think anything was wrong until much later the week end.

My question here is :

1. How long does that drug stay in your system?

2. How long after the suspected rape took place can you still go for tests

regards

M

SpeakOut!
Dear M -

I assume your sister has not laid a charge? She should have because even if it is not rape what sort of people don't think anything is wrong if someone falls out of a car? Especially with the injuries she displayed? And too what is happening that someone 'falls out' of a car? She can still lay a charge but this is HER decision not yours - remember rapists remove choice the rest of us don't behave like them, if you do it will increase trauma and she will shut down.
I hope she has been for xrays for the headache and memory loss? It sounds like a clear concussion to me and you need to be careful because brain injuries after such an incident can cause severe problems weeks later.

If a person is drug raped there are a variety of drugs that are used, most would have been out of her system by the following morning. The doctor was clearly not very good if he did not immediately do blood tests for this nor send her for a head xray - I very strongly recommend that she still goes for an xray NOW. However, too there is a disturbing syndrome of many young women drinking way too much and putting themselves at risk so it may not have been a drug rape.

If she has been raped she has 72 hours to get onto antiretroviral medication to prevent HIV, so she needs to go NOW. If she doesn't go onto ARVs she has a 40% risk of becoming HIV+, if she goes onto ARVs NOW (later than 72 hours is too late) she has zero chance.
Please don't waste time with GPs most are useless when it comes to rape, get her to a Netcare hospital or the best hospital you can find or she must lay a charge and go to a district surgeon. A rape test will look for DNA but I suspect that has gone now because she would have been to the toilet and probably cleaned. it is worth taking clothing she was wearing especially panties and slacks to a district surgeon IF she lays a charge. She also needs a shot of penicillin or antibiotics to prevent other sexually transmitted infections and a morning after pill to prevent pregnancy.

I would strongly suggest that you, she and your mom consider going for counselling. If you ask why you - it's because we know these situations raise strong emotions and issues for the men in the lives of the women concerned, deal with it now so that it doesn't harm you too.

And M, thank you for writing to us, your sister is very lucky to have a brother like you.

SpeakOut!