Home is where the hurt is
August 29, 2013
Produced by Adel van Niekerk
While the country continues to grapple with high levels of violent crimes, women and children seem to face the biggest threat in their own homes, and at the hands of their intimate partners or fathers. Research shows that one in every four women in SA have been in a domestic abusive relationship and three quarters of our children have either witnessed or experienced domestic violence. We show how women continue to face challenges to obtain protection orders from courts, get police to act or keep children safe from their violent fathers.
“The cops will say go to the courts first. Or if you have to go to the courts first they’ll say you have to go to the cops first. So you get these real fundamental and banal but invidious impediments to the implementation of the act”, says Prof. Bonnie Meyersfeld from the Wits Centre for Applied Legal Studies.
We expose one such case as we follow “Zaheera” to the Johannesburg Family Court as she unsuccessfully tries to obtain a protection order. This, she claims after police refused to assist her after her estranged husband harassed and intimidated her and threatened to kidnap their son. We also speak to “Brenda” who managed to escape a physically and emotionally abusive marriage yet failed to prevent her former husband from getting unsupervised visitation rights over their 8-year old twins. We also hear from “Andre”, who used to physically abuse his former wife and how he managed to break the cycle.
Special Assignment spoke to dozens of women and men who wanted to talk about their experiences of domestic violence. Yet, they all had one thing in common: every single one of our case studies asked no to be identified in this show. It points to the high levels of shame and secrecy still shrouding this widespread crisis in our society.
“Stranger still was the discovery that this violence was not the handiwork of strangers, but of husbands, boyfriends and lovers. Home it turned out, was where the hurt was”
– Lisa Vetten, Gender & Violence Researcher
For more information: Special Assignment office: (011) 714-6757/8
Executive Producer: Busisiwe Ntuli – 083 346 7291
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