South African Police Minister Bheki Cele on Sunday directed police officers to show no leniency when abusers in gender based violence appear before them but to seek justice for their victims.
The cops should not dismiss women out of hand when they wish to open cases against their alleged abusers, Cele said.
The minister, who was in the northern city of Kimberley as part of his festive season road safety campaign, said it was not the duty of the police to advise victims to “negotiate with the perpetrators” or question the women’s role in the abuse.
“You are instructed to go and protect women, especially you male officers. You must work to protect the women. Be hard, be tough and heartless against women abusers.
“When a woman comes to report that she has been abused, I hear you send her back, she comes back for the second time, you send her back again. Let me tell you something: she will not come back for the third time because, by then, she will have been dead,” Cele said.
Early this year South African President Cyril Ramaphosa launched a special programme to end femicide impunity and GBV in the country, which lately has seen the rise of ruthless killings of women by their male partners – husband, boyfriends or former boyfriends out to revenge after being dumped.
During the road campaign the minister was joined by top police management and local Northern Cape Province Transport, Safety and Liaison officials in conducting a walkabout as part of his Safer Festive Season assessment tour.
South Africa’s roads tend to have a high number of motor vehicle accidents during the long holiday season ahead of Christmas and New Year festivities.
NM/jn/APA