Even though Action Society played a valuable role as watching brief, we were disappointed in a recent gender-based violence conviction in Klapmuts in the Winelands.
The abusive man was sentenced to two years, wholly suspended in July for assaulting his girlfriend. In December last year, the man hit the woman with a panga. According to the victim, he entered a friend’s house one afternoon and hit her with a panga on her breast, bruising her.
She went to the police station on the same day and reported the incident. She told Action Society that it was not the first time he had physically assaulted her, so she went to the police station to report the assault.
“After he hit me, he chased me down the road with the panga. I was so angry and tired of him hurting me that I went to the police station to report it. The police were very helpful and assisted me,” she said.
The woman said the court process was long and tiring because she had to go back and forth, but insisted she had to see the matter through because she feared he would take her life eventually.
“I had to stay out of work to attend court, and it was a whole up and down situation, but I didn’t want him to do something harmful which forces my children to grow up without a mother. I am a single mother raising two boys,” she said.
While the matter has been concluded, the woman is not satisfied that he is not behind bars.
“He lives on the next road, and I would see him because he lives really close. I was shocked when I saw him after the last court case; I didn’t know he could still be out of prison. But you know, nevertheless, he has not hurt or assaulted me since I reported the matter, so that is good,” she said.
