Woman sexually abused with spoon approaches Afriforum’s PPU

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A woman who was allegedly sexually abused with a spoon has approached Afriforum’s Private Prosecution Unit (PPU) to take over her case.

Felicia Mkondo, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the unit and alleged that the prosecutor assigned to the case had mistreated her and subjected her to secondary trauma, and that evidence had disappeared from the file.

Private plaintiff Obed Tongoane and plaintiff Felicia Mkondo

The defendant appeared in court on Thursday and his identity may not be known until after he enters his plea.

Unit spokesman Barry Bateman says that while the defendants are charged with assault with intent to cause serious injury and sexual assault, the unit has already written twice to a senior prosecutor to argue that rape should also be added as a charge because there is sufficient evidence to support that charge.

He says both letters remained unanswered.

The alleged offences occurred over a two-year period between February 2020 and December 2022, when Mkondo was in a romantic relationship with the accused.

Bateman says Mkondo said she was subjected to physical and sexual violence, including having a tablespoon inserted into her intimate area during her pregnancy.

He says this resulted in severe bleeding and that she was beaten, slapped, choked and thrown against the walls while heavily pregnant.

Mkondo says the NPA did not take her case seriously. “I was indeed sexually and physically abused. I had pictures, I had evidence, but every day when I went to court, the evidence was not there. The crucial pictures were constantly missing.”

“At AfriForum, they communicate with me and ask me how I am feeling. I think my mental health is actually OK now. I sleep like a baby. The way they treat me, they call me and keep me updated. I expected the court to treat me like this but no, they did the opposite,” she said.

In April this year, NDPP MP Shamila Batohi said gender-based violence was “the most important human rights issue facing women that government and society must address together. The rape and murder of our women is indeed a reflection of a society that lacks humanity.”

According to Bateman, the NPA continues to fail female victims of crime.

The trial date of the case has been postponed until August 1, but the Private Prosecution Unit will continue to lobby the NPA to have the accused charged with rape.