Know your rights when reporting GBV – SAHRC
Limpopo SAHRC manager, Victor Mavhdula says citizens should familiarise themselves with their constitutional rights and responsibilities because they have seen cases were perpetrators were unaware of their criminal acts.
POLOKWANE – Experts from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Department of Social Development have found that victims, especially those of gender-based violence (GBV), are either afraid of officially reporting crime because they fear how police officials would react to the matter or are simply unaware of their rights to report.
Their call to distribute correct information on ways to report the matters unwaveringly is in line with the commemoration of Human Rights Day last Tuesday.
In January 28, 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed three new GBV laws aimed at strengthening efforts to end GBV in South Africa: the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act, and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act.
In February during the third quarter crime statistics presentation meeting headed by provincial police commissioner, Gen Thembi Hadebe, she said they were aiming for zero GBV cases, after recording an overall increase of 21.3% from 993 to 1 204 sexual offences in the third quarter of the 2022/23 financial year (October-December 2022), and of 20.6% in rape cases from 1 198 to 1 444 from the previous financial year.
In achieving this, victim empowerment coordinator, Patience Napo has provided advise for victims.
“Compile recordings, messages and photos of interactions with the perpetrator so that they serve as evidence once you have opened a case,” according to Napo.
She says if a victim feels their case is not being rightfully attended to, they could take it up with the station commander and other institutions available, without fear. Even so, she pleads with social workers to adequately prepare victims for the long journey of finding justice. “The period between when a victim reports a case and when their offender is sentenced is very long and can be demotivating. When we bring forth countless witnesses, running around to find evidence, victims become impatient and decide to withdraw the case,” she adds.
Meanwhile, Limpopo SAHRC manager, Victor Mavhdula says citizens should familiarise themselves with their constitutional rights and responsibilities because they have seen cases were perpetrators were unaware of their criminal acts.
“A 43-year-old man lodged a complaint at the commission that the family of his 16-year-old girlfriend refuses that he forms a relationship with their new-born child. This is above GBV, it is statutory rape and he says he was not aware. Read or listen to information provided to you by government and the media, use social media wisely and attend government events, because such things are discussed all the time. He is obviously facing an imminent arrest,” he explains to Polokwane Observer.
