AfriForum will continue to fight for the rights of child victims
6 July 2015
AfriForum reacted to an article in Rapport by once again offering their help to two children who were victims of rape. In one case a four old boy’s rapist couldn’t be sentenced due to the lack of an Afrikaans speaking probation officer to assess the child. In the other case a five year old girl was unable to testify against her alleged rapist for the third time in the same court due to the lack of an Afrikaans speaking mediator to facilitate the child’s testimony.
Alana Bailey, deputy CEO of AfriForum responsible for language affairs, says it’s a perfect example of how injustice prevails when language rights are denied. “The children become victims of both the criminal and a mismanaged, heartless system that literally ignores them.”
In 2013 AfriForum paid for the assessment of one of the abovementioned victims where after Nantes Kelder, Head of the Investigation Unit at AfriForum, stayed involved in the case. Around this time AfriForum requested information regarding the availability of forensic social workers in the South African Police from the National Police Commissioner.
“The problem is unfortunately much bigger than just Afrikaans speaking people’s language rights,” says Bailey. “There is a lack of expert social workers and probation officers across the language spectrum. More experts must be trained and willing to follow a career in public service. However, with limited job opportunities, affirmative action which leaves many questions regarding the long term sustainability of such a career and no visible campaign to attract qualified specialists, the mentioned lack is not surprising.”
“The only losers in this whole process are the children, especially those who grow up in poverty,” says Kelder. “This is yet another confirmation that the police and the government do not take the interests of child victims to heart. Children are literally left in the hands of the criminals.”
Besides the help offered to the two children, AfriForum will continue to put pressure on the involved authorities to find short term as well as long term solutions to the crisis.
Statement issued by Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO, AfriForum and Nantes Kelder, Head: Investigation Unit, AfriForum, July 6 2015
