Victims first priority in GBV response

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the womens’ shelters in the country were reportedly overwhelmed by numbers of survivors in need of safe spaces, reflecting the crisis we are in. Whilst the country has made a commitment to reduce Gender Based Violence, the ongoing case involving a Directorate of Public Prosecutions attorney, Keipeile Stoffel shows that there is still a long way to go for society to defeat the monster.

The case has since drawn public attention, highlighting issues GBV disputes and the measures taken to protect alleged victims and children while balancing the rights of the accused. These come after, the victim allegedly pleaded with court to release her boyfriend, who stands accused of assaulting her. She reasons that she did not report her boyfriend, meaning that she may be okay with the accused’s actions. She maintains that what the state and the public consider assault is, in her view, simply a disagreement between two lovers. Her words have divided opinion as to what exactly should be done to address the GBV issue.