Domestic violence statistics: SAPS lacks data to protect victims of abuse

In a parliamentary reply to the Democratic Alliance (DA), Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, has confirmed that that the South African Police Service (SAPS) does not consider domestic violence a stand-alone crime when it compiles statistics. 

As a result, SAPS cannot track trends and develop effective policing strategies to combat domestic violence. 

A copy of this reply is available here.

In August 2011 my colleague Denise Robinson MP wrote to the Chair of the Women, Children and People with Disabilities Portfolio Committee to ask that Police Minister, Nathi Mthethwa, brief the committee on how he plans to address this matter. 

However, the Minister has failed to do so.

Therefore, I will today be writing again to Minister Mthethwa to ask why he has failed to account to the Committee. I will also ask that his department reclassifies domestic violence as a stand-alone crime, so that accurate data may be collected on the prevalence of domestic abuse. Ways in which the SAPS can improve the protection it offers domestic violence victims should be an issue at the top of the Minister's agenda, particularly given the current 16 Days of Activism campaign, which seeks to create awareness about violence against women and children.

More than 56 000 rapes and sexual offences were reported in South Africa in the last financial year. This equates to 154 reported sexual offences each day. It is conservatively estimated that only one in ten sexual offences are reported, due to a lack of faith in the system.  It is an outrage that the SAPS do not have reliable data to develop effective strategies to tackle domestic abuse in a country where violence against women is so prevalent and to show those who are attacked that they are taking their plight seriously.

Today my colleagues Denise Robinson MP and Patricia Kopane MP visited Carehaven Shelter in Cape Town to meet women who are victims of domestic abuse. They saw first-hand how South African women in abusive relationships are being failed by the SAPS' inability to effectively address domestic violence.

Domestic violence victims, such as those at Carehaven, face problems with the SAPS such as the following:

• According to Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) statistics, up to 65% of police stations are not compliant with the Domestic Violence Act,  which means that they are not providing the necessary support to victims of domestic violence; 
• This year, 53% of domestic violence victims were incorrectly told they were not allowed to lay a charge after being abused; and
• 96% of domestic violence victims were not given information on their rights, such as having the right to apply for a Protection Order when they go to their local police station.

It is inconceivable that a woman who has had to endure the trauma of being abused by a family member or partner is subjected to the indignity of having their case poorly managed by the police.

The DA-run Western Cape has sought to ensure that the Domestic Violence Act is effectively implemented, so that women are protected from domestic abuse. For example, one of the programmes run by the Provincial Department of Community Safety has involved monitoring service delivery at police stations. This included monitoring of these stations' compliance with the Domestic Violence Act.

Women form the cornerstone of our society. It is crucial that the SAPS does all it can to ensure that South Africa's women are able to live their lives free of fear. Minister Mthethwa needs to make sure that this happens. 

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, December 7 2011

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