Profile of rape victims referred by the court to the Free State Psychiatric Complex, 2003 to 2009

Rape victim assessment: Findings by psychiatrists and psychologists at Weskoppies Hospital

“…This finding is significantly higher than Calitz et al [9] found in their study, namely that only 1.5% of the victims were able to consent to sexual intercourse. It is noteworthy that more than a quarter of the reports did not comment on the victim's ability to consent to sexual acts even though the courts specifically requested it.…”

“…Of the reports, 91% found that the victims suffered from intellectual impairment. A wide range of severity of intellectual disability was found in this study, compared with the study by Calitz et al, [9] who found that around two-thirds of their victim population were moderately intellectually disabled. Many possible variables could explain the difference in the findings at the two different sites.…”

“…Four (3.8%) cases were not classified with mental retardation. Calitz et al [9] found in a study conducted at the Free State Psychiatric …”

“…Calitz et al [9] found that most participants in their study (98.5%) were unable to give consent to sexual intercourse, with only 1.5% found to be able to do so.…”

“…Calitz et al [9] found that of 137 cases, only one victim could testify in court. This victim was diagnosed with mild mental retardation.…”