In 2017, 531 total cases of rape, incest, and sexual assault were reported, as per the police figures.
One of those cases was that of a 16-year-old secondary school student. Five years later, she is still waiting on the outcome of the preliminary inquiry into the rape that has robbed her of her sanity.
After all this time, she now wonders why she even bothered reporting the rape because, for her, it seems the case will never end, nor will she get justice.
She has since filed a constitutional motion that calls on the authorities to implement mechanisms and distribute sufficient resources to ensure that criminal matters can be concluded expeditiously.
As per claims, the criminal justice system is in crisis. The State has failed to apply mechanisms and distribute sufficient resources to ensure that criminal matters can be concluded expeditiously.
That is why she is suffering from psychological harm. Her testimony in the civil matter speaks she cannot get proper treatment for the trauma she is left with because of the attack until the case is concluded. She also says her apparent attacker is out on bail, which is why her safety is at risk.
“The law does not afford victims of crime the right to be heard on case management decisions.”
The law does not afford judicial officers in order to consider victims’ rights when making case management decisions. Moreover, the law does not provide victims of crime with any remedy for the court’s failure to determine their cases expeditiously.
Victims of crime are created psychological harm by the failure of the State to put mechanisms in place and distribute sufficient resources in order to ensure that their cases can be determined expeditiously.
“The legal system is generally unfair to the claimant and victims of crime,” her lawsuit claims.
Women also complained about the slow speed of the criminal justice system were, repeated by the Prime Minister in March.
According to Dr Rowley, his Government had prioritised providing hundreds of dollars in resources to the Judiciary in an increased number of masters, judges, courts, and traffic cases removed from the system.
Furthermore, he added, “If I speak as a citizen, I have not seen any acceleration in justice delivery. So there must be something somewhere else.
In a formal interview, the woman said, “I feel broken as well as stupid.”
According to the project manager of Rape Crisis Society, many victims of rape and sexual assault, including males and females, do not report their attacks most of the time.
She said one of the primary reasons for this was the delays involved in prosecuting cases.
“Every time is having to go to court and face their attacker… If they see the perpetrator… these can be triggering and traumatising’ the survivor of a sexual assault.”
Every time the attacker uses these delays as a tool of power over their victim.
