Rape Crisis faces closure
The Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust might have to close some of its services due to a lack of funding, The New Age reports. Having been established in 1976, the non-profit organisation runs three centres in Cape Town, assisting more than 2500 rape survivors per year and is the oldest centre for rape counselling in the country.
Rape is so common in South Africa that one woman is raped every 10 minutes - according to figures calculated from the latest police statistics.
According to The New Age report, Rape Crisis director Kathleen Dey said a shortfall in the budget, due to European Union donors pulling out of funding organisations in South Africa, meant Rape Crisis was facing a bleak future. The three Rape Crisis centres in Cape Town provided counselling and support to rape survivors, their partners and families. The organisation also engaged in rights awareness and education in rural areas and played a large role in keeping the judicial system on track regarding rape cases and has conducted important research on gender-based violence and provided information to the National Prosecuting Authority.
For more:
- The New Age: Rape Crisis faces closure
- Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust: The 1000 Hearts Campaign
