According to President Cyril Rampahosa, the new three laws that have been passed to fight violence erupted against gender and Femicide are a step towards the right direction in the continuous fight against the plague.
Ramaphosa signed the law last week. Law was related to the Criminal matters Amendment Act, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act.
These three laws were formed because of the 2018 National Presidental Summit on gender-based violence and Femicide, which gave up-gradation to the country’s National Strategic Plan of Gender-based Violence and Femicide.
“It is delightful to announce that despite facing continuous disruptions in Parliamentary programmes due to COVID-19, our parliamentary have still passed legislation that will empower existing provision around gender-based violence.”
Furthermore, Ramaphosa stated, “I signed into law three pieces of legislation that honour to ensure to empower the criminal justice system, promote accountability across the state and to make efforts for the people who suffered at the centre of all our efforts.”
The bills enclose a vast range of protection for victims and survivors, which includes:
Protecting the helpless victims by allowing courts to assign mediators through which a minor, a disabled person or an older adult can be checked in proceedings.
We have stricken the bail rules.
Banning sexual grooming and exploitation of persons with mental harassment and the Sexual Offences Register.
Assembling it a criminal offence not to report any sexual offences against helpless persons.
Strictly up the protection orders and enlarge the scope of the conditions under which to apply for a protection order.
According to the President, the three new legislation also place responsibility on the society members to act against incidents of domestic violation and sexual offences against the most vulnerable.
“All young people who know or fear that domestic violation is being committed against a child, a person with a mental disability or an elderly person are obliged to report such acts to a social worker or the police.”
President Ramaphosa further added, “safety of the women and children is our first priority. It is shameful when a woman and child is beaten, hurt, raped, assaulted, or killed. It is even worse when we knew it and could have prevented it.”
However, leaving an abusive relationship is not at all easy, but as the government, we are promising you the protection and support an abused person need for themselves.”
