Latest Domestic Violence Report Shows not enough has been done.

Denise Robinson, Shadow Minister of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities - 4.11.2009

   Women reporting domestic violence incidents are being failed by police because they are not capturing the details of cases adequately. Police are failing victims by not noting incidents in the Domestic Violence Register, not obtaining witness statements or advising complainants of options, such as the availability of protection orders or their rights in laying criminal charges, and the list goes on. The cases have been outlined in the Domestic Violence Report tabled in parliament by the Independent Complaints Directorate.

   These failings go against the legislation of the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) which has been operational for nearly a decade, since 15 December 1999, and which the South African Police Service (SAPS) is meant to uphold.

   The SAPS should be protecting the victims and upholding the DVA. Failure to uphold the act will merely hold us back in achieving justice for the vulnerable victims of violence.

   The report shows that during the period of July – December 2008 there were a total of 66 allegations of non compliance matters by members of the SAPS received by the ICD.

   The highest number of non-compliance matters were reported in KwaZulu-Natal with 14, followed by the Free State with 9; the Western Cape and North West with 7 cases each, Northern Cape and Limpopo with 5, Mpumalanga with 3 and Eastern Cape with none. During July – December 2007, 57 cases of non-compliance were reported to the ICD so it is evident that non-compliance is on the increase.

   This is shocking considering that domestic violence is so rife in South Africa. According to the SAPS’s Annual Report (2008/2009) the number of crimes committed against women totals 188,425 - that’s 516 crimes against women per day.

  Further there appears to be a total lack of commitment from the government to fight domestic violence on the ground.

   The government removed the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS). But it has since realised its mistake and has said it will re-establish the FCS. The DA welcomes this move, but in a reply given by the Minister of Police last month we learned there has been no specific date set for the re-establishment of the FCS.

   There are not enough domestic violence shelters for victims of domestic violence. Only 96 shelters exist in South Africa and accessing these shelters is often difficult.

   This month will mark the beginning of “16 Days of Activism and 365 Days of No Violence Against Women and Children”. It is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute and runs from 25 November till 10 December each year. But it is clearly not enough that the issue of Domestic Violence is raised just once a year. This issue needs far more and constant attention.

   The DA will be asking the Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa what steps he is taking to ensure that a national FCS unit is established quickly. There are FCS units and specialized individuals at cluster or station level but the DA feels this is not yet adequate. We will also ask what steps and training will be introduced to ensure that more SAPS stations are compliant with the DVA
   
    Questions have been asked of Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya, the Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities about the SAPS Trauma counselling centres. They were sent in June this year but we are still awaiting a reply. The questions have been attached below.

(a) As at the latest date for which information is available, how many SAPS Trauma Counselling centres currently exist at Police Stations per province;
(b) How many of these are fully functional;
(c) What are their hours of operation;
(d) How many counsellors are assigned to each of the centres;
(e) what qualifications and experience does each of these counsellors have;
(f) whether all members of the public who have been traumatized either through assault or abuse, are referred to counsellors; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(g) whether there are specialized counselling for adults and children who have been abused; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(h) whether there are any counselling for the parents of children who have suffered abuse; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(i) what monitoring systems are in place to ensure that these counselling services are properly implemented; (j) whether there are any systems are in place to give police officers counselling on a regular basis, bearing in mind that they are exposed to violence and trauma themselves in the course of their duty; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(k) whether counsellors are paid a stipend or is this purely voluntary work;
(l) whether any Trauma Centres have been closed down over each of the past 3 years; if so, which centres and why?