A study of reported rape cases in Lusaka Urban District

Abstract

Cross-sectional, longitudinal study was conducted to verify the existence and extent of rape in Lusaka. Dockets from Lusaka Central Police registered rape cases. All dockets were critically looked at for evidence of rape, genital injuries, social status and other demographic indicators. All dockets which did not contain the required information were not considered. A coded information data sheet was prepared and information from dockets aijd interviews 'were entered into the spreadsheet. Medical recoj-ds at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) from January 1997 to December 1997 were checked for information on rape.The study was planned towards the end of 1997, it started January 1998 and saw its completion in July 1998. In all a total of seven months was required to collect, analyse and complete the write up.Data collected from police dockets and medical records at the UTH.359 victims (300 from UTH and 59 from^ Police Dockets) .57% of rape cases are committed to women aged between 14 and 20 years with the mean age of 19.2. 42% of the victims were single at the time of attack. Pv = 0.000027 = 23.87. 45% of the rapists were aged between 20 and 30 years. Victims without previous coital experience had more genital injuries, 49% of them children below 13 years of age and 25% of them between 14 and 2 0 years of age.Most of the rape occurs at night and the victims are usually single at the time of the attack. The rapists are usually young men between the ages of 2 0 and 3 0 and victims 14 and 2 0 years of age. A large difference in number between files accessed at the hospital and police indicate either poor management of records by police as victims jA/ithdraw most of the cases from the police. Though unsettling the statistics for rape, they do not reveal the full impact on the victims daily lives. Besides the enormous emotional implications of grief, fear, anxiety and pain. The victims are likely to carry the scars for a long time. The hurt and damage is not easily undone.