At a meeting today of the provincial Community Safety Standing Committee, it was revealed by the Western Cape Police Ombudsman (WCPO) that 71% of gender-based violence (GBV) survivors were neither informed of their right to protection nor the right to be treated with fairness and respect at SAPS stations.
MPP Bosman says: “The national Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) is failing to preserve the dignity and lives of survivors of abuse. In a recent anonymous incident, a young LGBTQ person was not afforded the opportunity to make a statement and receive support after surviving rape. She was instead told by a SAPS official to go home and not take a bath, but to return the following day.
As Chairperson of the provincial Social Development committee, I will call a meeting of the Western Cape Department of Social Development, Community Safety, and SAPS to urgently discuss VEP and the inefficiencies identified in the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences services. It is critical that the province monitors these findings of the WCPO.
Through parliamentary questions, I further seek clarity on the availability of rape kits at SAPS stations and progress on investigations regarding the conduct of VEP members.”
It has also been identified that another rape survivor in Athlone remained unattended for four hours, and Ashton SAPS is the only station with a transgender cell. We are also aware that only 46% of Victim Friendly Rooms at SAPS have first aid kits.
MPP Bosman adds: “Such an atrocious status quo speaks to the dire problem that less than 10% of members elected to be trained for the National Victim Empowerment Training Programme have been sent for such training. Further, none of the survivors were informed of their right to compensation or their right to protection.”
When we have cases of rape survivors being refused support and a pathetic 20% of complainants interviewed in a Victim Friendly Room or private room, we cannot be surprised that trust in our police has eroded. As a result, cases go unreported and the cycle of violence is perpetuated.
The province is working towards the restoration of dignity through its Children and Families Programme, and the allocation of over R800-million including provision of much-needed psychosocial counselling. Considering that support to the social development sector is stretched and we have witnessed a rise of donor fatigue, it is more important than ever that SAPS joins us in defeating this pandemic.”
