Justice system failing women – advocacy group

The justice system is failing to adequately protect women who have lodged complaints against their intimate partners and it’s contributing to the scourge of femicide. This, notes a Cape Argus report, is according to gender-based violence advocacy group Ilitha Labantu. Its spokesperson, Siyabulela Monakali, said from 2014 the organisation had seen a trend in incidents in which women who had existing cases against their intimate partners ended up as victims of femicide. ‘There is a widespread spike in femicide and as an organisation we have been raising alarm bells in the justice system, questioning the extent to which legislation and its procedures can protect these women,’ he said. The Western Cape High Court has heard cases in which victims of femicide had lodged complaints against their intimate partner with the police. The most recent case was that of Riaan Bitterbos, a Vredendal man who admitted to stabbing his ex-girlfriend, Elizabeth Maarman, to death. In July 2017, Maarman opened a rape case against Bitterbos and on 27 February last year the accused murdered her. In his plea, Bitterbos admitted to going to Maarman’s home, arguing with her and then stabbing her about 11 times. The court will also hear the trial of Goodman Nobade, a man accused of killing his wife and dismembering her body, as reported in Legalbrief Today. According to court papers, Nobade’s wife, Agnes Msizi, applied for a protection order seven months before she was murdered, allegedly by him. The court order was granted in October 2016. She was killed in May the following year. Monakali questioned the effectiveness of court protection orders. ‘We need to look at the legislative framework and scrutinise it. The justice system needs to do a full introspection on the laws and procedures to protect women,’ he added.