Public Protector, Adv Thuli Madonsela, has called on state organs within the criminal justice value chain to effectively play their part to ensure that victims of gender based violence get the assistance they are entitled to.
The Public Protector was opening a two-week exhibition titled “Brick Wall: Rape and the Criminal Justice System”, which depicts obstacles faced by rape victims as a result of service failures within the criminal justice system in Johannesburg last night. She said victims were often subjected to a maze of red tape, which resulted in unreported or withdrawn cases.
“The state has a duty to protect women and girls by preventing preventable harm and when harm has occurred, the state must care for victims and their families as well as effectively prosecute perpetrators,” she said.
However, the Public Protector pointed out that the criminal justice value chain often fails victims with the impact of not only subjecting them to secondary victimization but also denying them justice and human dignity. She added that in such instances of service and conduct failure her office comes in to right the administrative wrongs of the state.
Quoting statistics from the study titled “Tracking Justice: The Attrition of Rape Cases Through the Criminal Justice System in Gauteng”, the Public Protector highlighted the plight of victims of gender based violence.
