The National Inquiry into Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV/F) gets underway from Tuesday, as three Chapter 9 institutions investigate the criminal justice system’s response to the scourge.
The Commission for Gender Equality, the South African Human Rights Commission and the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities met on Monday to announce the way forward for the inquiry.
The first phase will focus on the experiences and testimonies of survivors of GBV/F, as well as the functioning and accountability of the criminal justice system before cases go to trial. The inquiry, as part of the National Strategic Plan, is set to run until 2 October at Braampark Office Park in Braamfontein.
The process comes amid ongoing concerns regarding how GBV/F cases are reported, investigated and handled before trial.
The commissions say they received an overwhelming response after calling for public submissions, including accounts from survivors and their families, civil society organisations, legal practitioners, researchers, academics and service providers.
“The inquiry will be conducted in phases. The first phase will focus on survivor testimony and lived experiences, as well as the functioning and accountability of the criminal justice system during the pre-trial stage,” the commissions said.
The inquiry will examine survivors’ experiences when reporting cases, accessing protection orders, trauma-informed care and psychosocial support, as well as their interactions with Thuthuzela Care Centres, hospitals, shelters and victim support services.
It will also assess police responses, investigations, forensic evidence, case-docket management, prosecutorial decisions, bail processes and coordination between institutions including the South African Police Service, National Prosecuting Authority and courts.
