Police ‘cannot turn away’ victims of sexual abuse and violence
Fikile Mbalula says each slap in the face a potential femicide and each unwanted touch a potential rape
No victim of sexual abuse or domestic violence must be sent away from a police station without a case being opened and a proper interview made‚ Police Minister Fikile Mbalula says. "We need not see bruises to open a case‚" he said on Saturday‚ adding that each slap in the face was a potential femicide and each unwanted touch was a potential rape. Victims must also not be "re-humiliated" nor "re-victimised" by police‚ Mbalula said. "The offences of domestic violence‚ rape‚ femicide and infanticide particularly‚ are surrounded by strong feelings‚ and insensitive interviewing of a victim by police or friends of a victim already humiliated and degraded‚ may cause further trauma‚" he added. He also said that while some allegations of rape may be false‚ all investigations must commence on the premise that the complainant is a genuine victim. Mballula was speaking in Eldorado Park on Friday at the unveiling of the Policy on Reducing Barriers to the Reporting of Sexual Offences and Domestic...
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