Gerrie Nel to prosecute George Bizos’s son

Civil rights organisation AfriForum announced on Tuesday that they would privately prosecute the son of George Bizos, a world-renowned human rights advocate.

This follows after Alexis Bizos physically assaulted his wife, Monique van Oosterhout, on 16 March 2015, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) refused to prosecute him.

AfriForum will institute private prosecution on behalf of Van Oosterhout, who was assaulted to such an extent that she sustained six broken ribs.

According to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, the organisation believes in equality before the law and therefore decided to intervene in a case where an alleged abuser is apparently not prosecuted, merely because his father is a prominent figure.

https://youtu.be/aZXaWVXMrKo

“One must remember: approaching the authorities is extremely traumatic for the victim; the secondary victimisation experienced by victims of assault is often a reality and greatly depends on who is on duty at the time of reporting the case.

“Victims of violence generally experience a distinct lack of empathy when they are at their most vulnerable,” Kriel explained.

In addition to the secondary victimisation while reporting the case to the police, Van Oosterhout could not, after several interactions with the NPA, succeed in convincing the NPA to prosecute Bizos.

The NPA subsequently issued a nolle prosequi certificate on September 11, 2015.

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