7 life sentences & 99 years in jail for GBV offenders in KZN over December
KwaZulu Natal police arrested a total of 244 suspects for various gender-based crimes during the month of December.
According to KZN police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala, these crimes ranged from rape, statutory rape, kidnapping, abduction, human trafficking, attempted murder, assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, child neglect and indecent exposure.
The KwaZulu-Natal Family Violence, Child Protection and S.e.xual Offences Units worked tirelessly to arrest these perpetrators.
“They successfully secured 14 convictions which included seven life sentences and 99 years of imprisonment for the many suspects who appeared in various courts within the province,” said Gwala.
She said many of these cases were still pending in court.
Adding that in spite of initiatives like the 16 Days of Activism for no violence against women and children – a programme which aims to educate communities and encourage them to break the silence around sexual offences – levels of gender-based violence remained high.
“The KZN Family Violence, Child Protection and S.e.xual Offences Units are still inundated with high volumes of gender-based violence cases on a daily basis, despite numerous initiatives aimed at educating the public on the effects of these violent crimes.
“Women are still abused by their partners when they should be in the safety of their own homes, and many women are losing their lives at the hands of the very people who should be protecting them.”
She concluded that communities are encouraged to continue reporting crimes to police stations to curb the stigma attached to s.e.xual offences.
“Often many people witness these abuses but fail to take steps to stop it. We urge women to not allow themselves to be trapped in abusive relationships which will see themselves as well as their children being harmed.”
-IOL
In other news – VIDEO: SA rich kid drives Porsche to school
Yesterday was the first day of school for many Mzansi learners and the day was quite eventful as always. A Grade 12 learner is currently trending on social media after she posted on Instagram how she is showing up to school.
The leaner who goes by the username @Yanda.Woods took to social media to show off that she was driving to her first day of matric with a Porsche, carrying a Christian Dior bag for her books and wearing Louis Vuitton shades. Learn More
