Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe has welcomed the decision by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe that courts dedicated to sexual offences would be reinstated, saying that it will immensely assist victims who are often subjected to long delays in finalisation of the cases.
The MEC believes that the action would contribute towards reducing the escalating incidences of rape in the province and it would also ensure that perpetrators are put behind bars.
He added that the delay in finalising cases of sexual offences sometimes would have a bearing on the outcome of those cases and they further subjected the victims to secondary victimisation. He said that the reinstatement of these courts will complement the work of police officers and also enhance the community’s confidence in the criminal justice processes.
“Since we are celebrating 20 years of freedom next year, it would not be fair to say we are free but women and children are still suffering from this scourge of abuse. The announcement came at a most relevant time when we are celebrating women’s month, we believe that it would reduce the workload at the other courts and speed the processes of prosecution to those found guilty because when cases take longer, the community loses confidence on police and the Justice system,” said Shongwe.
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