KwaDukuza court seeks community champions

Enduring sexual or physical assault is a terrible, life-altering event, but often gets worsened by hostile court environments.

To bring their abusers to justice, assault victims have to be brave enough to reach out to police as a first step and later come face-to-face with their perpetrators in court.

It is an incredibly difficult process at the best of times, let alone when victims arrive alone to court and are met with jeers and intimidation from supporters of the accused.

According to KwaDukuza public prosecutor, Advocate Paul Nel, the intimidation tactics are a common issue at the KwaDukuza Court and at other courts around the country where he has previously worked.

“We find often that the accused arrives with many family members and friends while the victims arrive alone. I have seen cases where school-aged victims have taken a taxi to the court and faced the day with no support,” said Nel.

Although there are exceptions, court proceedings are generally open to the public in South Africa.

To combat the problem and provide support for those who need it, Nel has started an initiative to find upstanding men in KwaDukuza who would be willing to attend court and accompany the victims.

“I have seen the success of the Bikers Against Child Abuse initiative overseas and want to try and create something similar locally,” he said.

Bikers Against Child Abuse offer, among other services, support to abused children when they have court appearances in 18 countries worldwide.

To find support for the initiative, Nel has reached out to Richard Shandu of the Treatment Action Campaign and Doctor Mfuneni Zungu, chairman of the KwaDukuza Community Policing Forum.

It is hoped their canvassing in local communities will find men who are willing and suitable to accompany the victims.

Confirming his support for the initiative, Zungu said he also believed a closer relationship with the courts would benefit communities in KwaDukuza.

If you would like to find out more information or become a supporter, you can reach Nel at 032 551 1201, Shandu at 072 931 8042 or Zungu at 063 927 3922.

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