Violence Against Women
As part of commemorating the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, a Sexual Offences Court will be launched in Sekgosese, Limpopo, this week.
The court, which will be opened by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha on Friday, will go a long way in providing much-needed protection to victims and survivors of sexual crimes in the area.
"Sexual offences courts were reintroduced by the department in August 2013 to provide specialised support services to victims of sexual offences, decrease turnaround times for finalisation of sexual offences cases and improve conviction rates in these cases," the Department of Justice said on Monday.
Since their establishment, the department has upgraded 46 regional courts into sexual offences courtrooms. These courts are specially designed for the delicate handling of sexual offences through the use of technologies, intermediaries and appropriate court environment for dealing with sexual offences.
The courts have been labelled as responsive and effective, as they reduce secondary victimisation, improve the skills of court personnel, speed up the finalisation of cases and contribute to their efficient prosecution and adjudication.
By South African Government News Agency