More shelters needed for abused women
Notwithstanding that numerous Boksburg residents experience abuse at the hands of their partners, close relatives or someone they know, the Gauteng provincial government says it is not planning to establish Green Door sanctuaries in the city.
A Green Door is a temporary safehouse to which abused women can flee, often with their children, when they come under attack from their partners or a family member.
Such sanctuaries, therefore, serve as a place of refuge for victims of domestic violence.
The facility also offers refuge services, including temporary accommodation, counselling and referrals to the nearest professional relevant service providers for medical assistance, counselling and shelter, among other things.
Behind closed doors, dozens of women and children are subjected to abuse and violence by their partners and close relatives.
Local NGOs and police records reveal that domestic violence in Boksburg is widespread.
However, according to the Department of Community Safety, there are, apparently, not enough of these incidents to persuade it to establish more Green Doors in Boksburg.
The department says identification of a Green Door site is informed by the need and the gender-based violence (GBV) occurrences and statistics, as recorded by the SAPS.
So, in that case, the number of reported incidents of domestic violence in Boksburg apparently do not qualify the area to have more Green Doors.
This publication has established that some of the domestic violence victims report their attackers to the police and NGOs, but others are too ashamed and afraid to come forward.
It was also found that those who report such cases seldom open criminal cases against the perpetrators, instead, they opt to apply for a protection order against the abuser at the Magistrates Court.
The records revealed that, in the Boksburg policing precinct, incidents of violence against women in the family fluctuates between four and 14 monthly.
Only two of the 12 domestic violence incidents reported to the Boksburg police during June resulted in prosecution – because victims decided not to open criminal cases against their abusers.
Both the Boksburg and Reiger Park police said they were working closely with other government departments, NGOs and community leaders, to prevent domestic violence and to bring offenders to justice.
According to the Boksburg SAPS Victim Empowerment Centre’s (VEC) trauma counsellor, Ntombi Mabaleka, only a few of the victims to whom they have attended reluctantly agreed to take legal action against their partners.
Mabaleka added that most of them refuse to break free from the abuse once and for all.
Despite the risks they and their children face, many abused women believe in the adage: ”Better the devil you know”.
They would rather return to the violent perpetrators than be placed in the shelters for abused women, according to Mabaleka.
The Boksburg SAPS’s Victim Empowerment Centre provides 24-hour support to victims of crime, including abused women who may be facing harassment from their current and ex-partners.
But most victims shun the services rendered by the VEC, making its existence pointless.
A place of sanctuary
Although the department claims that there is no Green Door to respond to the most basic needs of domestic violence victims in Boksburg, the Advertiser, in fact, discovered that such a facility exists in Reiger Park.
The victim reception centre is located in the backyard of Angie Reiners’, who serves as an ambassador of the Green Door Centre.
Reiners has, for years, devoted her life to providing effective, expert, empathetic support to survivors of domestic violence.
The facility on her property complements the work she does for victims of abuse at the Ithemba Victim Support Centre, which is located opposite the Reiger Park Police Station.
The Green Door, which was launched during the 16 Days of Activism campaign in 2014, provides a safe environment, with a homely atmosphere, a comfortable bed and sofas, as well as toys for children, and provides around-the-clock care.
Reiners said the centre covers high-density areas with high levels of domestic violence and abuse and, at times, the number of domestic violence cases in the Reiger Park policing precinct, for which the facility caters, soars by an alarming 40 incidents in one month.
“On average, per month, I attend to at least 35 victims of domestic violence and abuse, who arrive at the Green Door to seek help.
“Our communities are in dire need of such services. These include Reiger Park, Ramaphosa, Delmore Garden, Delmore Park, Delmore and Jerusalem informal settlements, and other areas,” she added.
Reiners stated that the centre, like other sexual abuse centres nationwide, sometimes runs short of all the things she needs to run it effectively.
For that reason, she is appealing for donations to enable the Green Door to continue rendering its services effectively.
The donations sought include, blankets, disposable nappies, mini bar fridge, kitchen utensils, clothes and bedding, toiletries such as soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, underwear, hairbrushes and other essential items women and children need in these critical moments.
“We all know that domestic violence refuges save lives and are essential services for women, and children, escaping abuse,”Reiners said.
“Without centres like this one, the highest risk women are vulnerable to being killed in their own homes by violent partners.
She is calling on the police to drastically improve the way such crimes are investigated and perpetrators punished.
Reiners admitted that local refuges aren’t always enough to provide a safe space for the large number of both local women and children who have to flee their homes to get away from persistent and dangerous perpetrators.
She, therefore, requests that the government joins forces with local NGOs to educate the youth about healthy relationships and to regularly hold high profile public awareness campaigns that send a clear message that domestic violence will not be tolerated in our society.
Reiners is also calling on the relevant departments to introduce more Green Door facilities in Boksburg.
Setting up a Green Door
* Anyone can volunteer to use his/her private property as a Green Door facility, provided they meet the criteria needed to run such a service.
These structures provide safety and refuge for victims of violence who reside in areas that are far from a police station (proximity of 5km or more).
SAPS members also make daily visits to the Green Door site.
This process minimises the waiting time of the victim, and prevents secondary victimisation.
The Department of Community Safety arranges for relevant accredited training and Green Door ambassadors receive a stipend R1 500. -@FanieFLK
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