Correctional Services say there is no special parole to be granted to victims of gender-based violence who took the law into their own hands.
This comes after activists during the recent Gender-Based Violence Summit held in Pretoria last week pleaded for the release of a woman serving a life sentence for killing an abusive husband.
Martha Marumo is serving a life sentence since her arrest in 2003 for killing her abusive husband. This enraged activists who called for her release on parole.
However, according to Correctional Services, early parole is not possible. “It is indeed correct that Martha Marumo is an inmate, she is serving a life sentence for a case of murder from 2005 and when looking at our parole regime, it’s clear in terms of dictating that an inmate must at least serve 25 years before being considered for parole placement when you are given a life sentence,” says Department of Correctional Services’ Singabakho Nxumalo.
Correctional Services says there is no special parole provision for abused women who took the law into their own hands.
“All we are presented with is someone who must be corrected, rehabilitated and sent back to the community. So whether or not you are a victim of gender-based violence, ended up taking the law into your own hands, will not change the fact that an offence (has happened) hence you have to be detained.”
However, at the Gender Summit President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had listened to the call.
“We are here to listen but we are also here to learn and I for one learnt quite a lot from this. Yes the issue of the demand that is made about parole to women who are incarcerated because they were forced to do certain things, yes we heard them.”
It is not yet clear if the President will indeed act and pardon some abused women who now languish in jail. Gender activists say the criminal justice system needs to do more to protect them.
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