This story out of Ghana should not only make you count your blessings, it should also really piss you off. In Ghana, women cannot take their rape cases to trial because they don’t have the money. In order to go to court, they need a signed medical form– but that form can be very costly.
Women’s advocates and officials from the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the police agree: without a signed medical form, there is no way to bring a rapist to justice.
“I don’t know of any case where it was won without a medical form,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Angela K.Obeng, who works at DOVVSU’s National Secretariat. For many women, the 150,000 to 300,000 cedi fee for a signed medical form is a staggering sum of money. DOVVSU Commander Borquaye estimated that as many as half of victims simply can’t afford it.
Ama Agbodaze, a social worker, puts the number even higher. On average, she said, for every ten victims she gives a medical form to fill out, at most two or three return. According to this estimate, 70 to 80 percent of victims choose not to pursue justice past an initial visit to the police station.
“They can’t afford the medical bill,” Ms. Agbodaze said, adding, “that’s why they don’t come back.”
It’s not the medical examination that costs money, but the form itself, according to Commander Borguaye.
. . . The reason many doctors charge so much for a signature, said Dr. James Clayman, a gynecologist, is that doctors may be called to testify in court if the rape victim presses charges. When this happens, doctors themselves have to pay the costs associated with testifying, as well as accept any missing salary from time spent out of the office.
My research shows that 300,00 cedi is only about $32USD. But that’s in a country where the average annual income is only around $2,200USD (statistics were hard to find, but everything I scraped together placed the figure at between $2,000 and $3,000).
The whole thing is an outrage on so many levels. Firstly, doctors are exploiting women by creating their own outrageous prices for the forms, even though signing the actual form costs nothing. Secondly, the government is exploiting women both by requiring these forms and by requiring doctors to burden the cost of testifying, which would obviously increase their reluctance to do so. Thirdly, this apparently comes at a time when either rape rates are increasing, or rape reporting is (these things are incredibly difficult to determine). Either way, it’s tragic. If more rapes are occurring, that’s horrible on it’s own, but all the more reason to show society that rape is being considered a serious crime that will result in punishment. If more women are reporting, their confidence needs to be inspired, and making sure that justice is done in their name is absolutely necessary to ensuring that the trend continues.
This is one of those times when I feel both incredibly grateful for having been born where I was, and also incredibly undeserving of the privilege. Remember, ladies: it is mere biological and geographical chance that this isn’t you.
The problem has the potential to be solved shortly, with the implement of of the Domestic Violence Act, which, among other things, makes it illegal to charge for these forms. The problem is that there is no timetable to put it into action, and there’s no guarantee that it will be followed or work effectively when it finally is instated.
If anyone has any ideas for action on this issue, or knows of any current ways that are available to get involved, please let me know.
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