The Covid-19 pandemic, which reached South Africa early last year, only added onto the struggles some South Africans face. Gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa is its own epidemic women have been fighting for years.
With victims in mind, Station Commander Brigadier Egen Moodley shed some light on how Sandton Police Station handles cases of GBV.
“We prioritise these types of crimes, they are extremely serious – thinking back to a case at the beginning of the lockdown when one of my own constables was shot. It’s very unpredictable; you never know what can happen.”
Constable Percy Ramalepe lost his life while responding to a GBV call in Paulshof on 9 April 2020. The brigadier added that it is unfortunate because it ended in such tragedy.
With much-needed support structures, Moodley added that the officers at the specialised unit investigating family violence, child protection and sexual offences are all trained to handle these cases with sensitivity.
“Working together with our communications officer and the community, there is a lot of awareness. We also have a volunteer system based in Wynberg. The Victim Empowerment Centre is basically a support centre for victims to empower themselves.”
Moodley also mentioned that immediate attention is given to serious cases and female officers are available to assist when victims request it.
“There are not a lot of GBV cases in Sandton. We do, however, see a lot of protection orders generally from people who are separating. I’m not saying they [GBV cases] don’t take place here but when it happens it is extremely serious.”
The brigadier said that detectives are readily available to take statements from victims of GBV.
