A United Nations Human Rights Committee has found systemic failures to address gender-based violence in South Africa and called for the country to provide comprehensive training for judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers in this area.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issued findings on a number of countries.
The committee called on South Africa to provide comprehensive training for a host of law enforcement actors on the strict application of criminal law provisions against gender-based violence and on gender-sensitive investigation and interrogation methods.
It further adds that in the absence of a specific criminal offence of domestic violence that the States Party take legislative measures to specifically criminalise and publicly prosecute domestic violence.
CEDAW issued findings and recommendations to nine countries from different regions including Africa.
In terms of existing legislation, South Africa’s Domestic Violence Act of 1998 is meant to afford victims of domestic violence maximum protection under the law.
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