Women abuse of men stigmatised
ALEXANDRA - Alexandra residents had an opportunity to engage on matters of justice with relevant government departments.
Alexandra residents had an opportunity to engage with judicial government departments.
Officials of the departments visited the area in an attempt to bridge the gap with the community on justice, safety and security. The area has its fair share of crime and violence, and occasionally relations between the police and residents are strained.
The visit, led by the National Prosecuting Authority, included the police, magistrates and prosecutors. They conducted a door-to-door campaign and a workshop, which dealt with a range of issues to encourage residents to contribute in ensuring successful judgement of criminal cases, and make them aware of remedial measures in instances of unsatisfactory conduct by judicial officials.
Officials said the interaction revealed many concerns of residents about the conduct of cluster officials, especially unsatisfactory police conduct, operations, and delays in the conclusion of court cases. The officials said this created misgivings by residents about the justice system.
A participant said she had a case pending police investigation for two years and had visited the police several times, but no one had come to collect evidence which had since been contaminated. Another said police were generally apathetic, especially in cases involving abuse of men by women. He said society stigmatised this abuse, men were embarrassed to report it, and the police perpetuated it as they laughed at any man who approached them to report any abuse by women.
In response, Lieutenant Ramunkung Thobejana said police were expected to act civilly towards anyone who came to the station, and police officials were obliged to act judiciously on any case. He added that all reported cases should be attended to within 24 hours, and failure to do so by any official warranted disciplinary action by the station commander.
Thobejana encouraged residents not to fear reporting any crime at police stations, and urged members of the community to attend regular public meetings where police were always present to engage with residents. “To enhance our free society, we need a partnership of the police and residents, who are the first witnesses of crime,” said Thobejane.
