Yesterday you might have seen us cover the strongly worded opinion piece published by the Cape Times on the issue of rape at UCT. The focus was on the perceived lack of action by the university when dealing with related incidents.

A few hours later we received this email – which we (as I’m sure you) find somewhat ironic – from Patricia Lucas, the “Manager of Communications and Marketing Department” at UCT:

Hunter [the 2ov author] writes: “After the rape of a fellow activist at Azania, it seems that the reaction and policies of UCT as an institution is something that unfortunately requires further discussion.” But Hunter has not contacted UCT about the institution’s “reaction and policies”. UCT’s policies are not described at all in the article. Instead, the “further discussion” that Hunter refers to consists entirely of the opinion piece that has been reprinted, without interrogating any of the allegations made therein.

Please would you remove this article from your website. Sloane Hunter is welcome to contact me for information on UCT’s policies and our responses to charges that are brought to the institution for investigation and response. The article that has been published on your website does not meet the criteria for news journalism as set by the SA National Editors Forum. It should never have been presented as a news item.

With kind regards,

Pat

Patricia Lucas
Manager: Communications & Media Liaison
Communication and Marketing Department
University of Cape Town

Because 2oceansvibe is SA’s largest solely owned online news publication, and therefore under no obligation to play by mainstream media’s rules and methods, we naturally refused to remove the article. We did, however, offer Pat and co the chance to submit a response, which we promised to publish.

And, in the words of David Attenborough…

… there it is:

On 17 November 2015, in response to the recent rape allegation, Dr [Max] Price wrote to the campus community and said: “We condemn this [sexual attack]. And in doing so we commit the University to support the survivor in whatever ways we can, and to redouble our efforts to educate our community in which such violations occur with distressing frequency.”

UCT recognises that sexual violence is a tragic reality the world over, including in South Africa. We realise that many of these crimes go unreported, including at UCT. One critical step in addressing the problem is to raise awareness, and to create spaces where people can speak up about comments and behaviour they find to be damaging to themselves or others.

UCT encourages acting within the law. For instance, after two students registered separate complaints of sexual harassment in September 2015 against the pastor who is mentioned in the opinion piece that is reprinted in the article, UCT’s security officers circulated a message that he should be arrested if found on campus again – and this is exactly what happened. UCT has since opened a sexual harassment case against the pastor with the SA Police Service.

Thanks, UCT. Great PR blurb.

It would be lovely if you could address some of the real issues raised next time.