Action Society has approached the Mitchells Plain Regional Court to protest the leave to appeal application of a convicted child rapist. In an urgent letter to the court, we argue that the man accused of raping the then 12-year-old Violet* in 2022, as well as the much-delayed trial caused the victim and her family severe emotional and mental distress. Granting the accused leave to appeal his conviction will severely undermine the public’s trust in South Africa’s judicial system. Furthermore, it will discourage future victims of sexual violence from coming forward and seeking justice.
The accused rapist is Violet’s uncle, who resided in the same house as her family when the rape took place. The case dragged on for nearly three years and was plagued with delays and postponements due to technical difficulties. We were extremely relieved when the 15-year sentence was delivered, and we hoped that Violet and her family could start to heal from the trauma. However, the ordeal will start from scratch if leave to appeal is granted.
Sexual violence against children is a serious problem in South Africa, and a decaying justice system makes it even more difficult for these victims to get justice.
“Violet’s case reflects a much deeper issue within the South African judicial system,” said Action Society spokesperson Juanita du Preez. “Over the years, we have seen the rights of violent perpetrators being favoured over those of victims. Our court systems are manipulated and abused daily, and it is the innocent who suffer.”
Action Society is calling for serious reform of our judicial system – the current situation is simply untenable. We believe in a complete overhaul of our systems, which includes increased capacity in our courts, as well as hiring competent prosecutors who will refuse to stand for this manipulation and abuse of our judicial system. We believe that the implementation of Public Private Partnerships (PPP’s) will expedite bridging the current capacity crisis in the system and thus allow for more convictions and sentences.
“Action Society will not stand back and watch our justice system decay into a state of complete impotence to the detriment of victims. We will continue to work on sustainable solutions while supporting victims like Violet,” concluded du Preez.
