On the front line against rape and sexual assault

It’s standby adviser Dr Gaelle Ramon’s second time on call when the phone rings. It’s after 2am and a rape has been reported. After checking the caller is in a safe place, it’s essential to assure the survivor there’s help at hand – and that they’re not alone.

A research development manager at UCT, Ramon is one of 11 staff members who recently completed standby adviser training for cases of sexual assault and rape. Their trainer was Rashieda Khan, who heads up the Survivor Support Office in the Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC).

The OIC offers a suite of services and support for sexual offences and discrimination involving the university’s staff or students, on campus and in surrounding areas. For rape and sexual assault, this includes 24-hour emergency assistance, support and advice for both complainants and respondents.

Standby advisers, who are paid a nominal fee, are on call when Khan is off-duty. They work after hours, on weekends and public holidays.

The training covers basic counselling skills and the short- and long-term physical, psychological and emotional impact of sexual assault and rape, and also addresses the myths and attitudes in society pertaining to sexual assault and abuse, says Khan. The advisers are also trained in how to refer individuals who are sexually assaulted or abused to appropriate resources.

Building community

“Calls can come at any time, some in the early hours of the morning before you hand over the shift and you’re ready to let your guard down. Or at 2am, when you’re fast asleep and need to pick up the phone – and your voice is the prisoner of your night’s unfinished dreams,” said Ramon, who has already dealt with two rape cases while on call as a standby adviser.

There also isn’t one model of victim, or perpetrator.

“Each survivor responds to the assault differently. The nature of the support the [rape] survivors required was also vastly different, even though there is a standard procedure we follow,” she said.

For her, building community is a strong motivating factor for undertaking the training.

“… I care about them, I want them to feel safe and looked after. This is my small contribution.”

“Even though I don’t know many people from the broader [UCT] community, I care about them, I want them to feel safe and looked after. This is my small contribution,” said Ramon.

Not alone

Nuraan Hartley, part of undergraduate administration in the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment, is also one of the newly-trained group. She is passionate about people, and it is especially important to her that survivors don’t feel alone.

In training for the role, Hartley was able to draw on her personal experience.

“I know how it feels to be lost when something happens, and I know the feeling of rejection and loneliness all too well,” she said.

“When a traumatic event occurs, people are often not in the right frame of mind to act in their best interest. As a standby adviser, it’s my duty to remain calm and level-headed, able to provide the correct information or most appropriate channels to follow.”

Sometimes that means accompanying the survivor to the police station or hospital. But it’s also important to respect the survivor’s boundaries. Some people don’t want to report the perpetrator.

“Empathy is an absolute must,” Hartley said, adding that standby advisers need to be respectful, trustworthy, friendly, calm and welcoming.

“You must also know how to remain neutral and not pass judgement. We must remain neutral, as we don’t only deal with the survivors.”

This work is part of her commitment to building more robust, educated and empowered communities. She rues the general lack of education – for males and females – about different forms of abuse.

“I believe we must raise awareness about assisting victims to become victors. There should also be more education for young people about what appropriate behaviour is, and what it is not.”

Besides making herself available for standby shifts, Hartley provides other forms of support in her day-to-day interactions.

“Many of our students are suffering silently, so I am happy to be there for them. We must learn to break the silence.”

“In my role, I deal with students daily and very often they reach out to me. Many of our students are suffering silently, so I am happy to be there for them. We must learn to break the silence,” she said.

Cultural barriers

Standby adviser Angie Ngalonkulu, of Health & Safety Services, says that students – often the targets of sexual assault and rape – need to know that there are after-hours advisers on hand to help. Different cultural backgrounds can be a barrier to receiving proper care, she warned, saying students of colour can feel marginalised, which deepens their sense of isolation.

Ngalonkulu has also drawn on her own experience assisting and caring for friends who have been raped or sexually assaulted – with often devastating repercussions, such as pregnancy or continued abuse.

“I had two friends who opened up to me about rape. Both were in high school at the time. After doing the training I feel better equipped to manage in similar circumstances,” she said.

To do this kind of work, one needs to be open-minded, disciplined and compassionate. It also takes emotional and physical stamina.

“Being available at all times on call, ready to respond professionally to provide the necessary intervention and support is tiring, but critical,” said Ngalonkulu, who is very serious about her role.

“Having been on standby in August and September, I had sleepless nights because I didn’t want to miss that call.”