Rolene Miller’s passion for the rights of others continues 30 years on
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is widespread in South Africa, and there has been little progress over the past 30 years in eradicating it. One of the many factors behind this is the shortcomings of South Africa’s legal system. Courts fail victims through not being victim-friendly and survivor-centred. And many of the clerks and police officers are not adequately trained to handle cases involving survivors of GBV with the necessary empathy, dignity, and care.
A meaningful intervention, which started in the Western Cape 30 years ago, was developed by MOSAIC Training, Service and Healing Centre, an NGO founded by Capetonian, Rolene Miller. The positive impact achieved by this intervention, the Court Support programme, is huge: in fact, over 2 million abused people have accessed MOSAIC’s free, culturally-based services. It is believed that the MOSAIC Court Support Desk service is the only one of its kind in the world.
According to Rolene, “Women face significant challenges when attempting to bring perpetrators of GBV to justice through the legal system. One of the primary difficulties stems from the fact that perpetrators are often the primary breadwinners in the household. This financial control allows them to manipulate and pressure victims into not pressing charges. The legal process itself can also be daunting, and the extended duration of legal procedure provides perpetrators with ample time to manipulate the situation further, often convincing victims to believe they have changed, or to drop the charges, or ignore pursuing a Protection Order altogether.”
A further risk for an abused woman is that “perpetrators frequently use intimidation tactics such as securing legal representation without the victim’s knowledge. This unexpected legal support for the abuser can leave survivors feeling overwhelmed and powerless.”
A Protection Order
is an important part of the legal process. It is a legal document issued by a Magistrate which serves as a court order and obliges the person named in the order to stop acting abusively towards the complainant, who would be someone involved in a domestic relationship with the person.
MOSAIC’s Court Support Workers assist women to obtain Protection Orders via Magistrate’s Courts.
The services offered by the MOSAIC Court Support system
MOSAIC’s Court Support Workers (CSW) offer a range of crucial services aimed at supporting survivors of GBV. “Our holistic approach ensures that survivors receive the necessary resources and assistance to navigate their legal challenges effectively,” Rolene explains.
The services available include crisis counselling, which provides immediate emotional support to survivors. Before the person can become involved in the legal process, their emotional and psychological needs should be addressed, so that they are in the right state of mind to make clear and non-emotional decisions about the legal route to be taken.
The CSWs also assist survivors in developing Safety Plans – tailored strategies designed to ensure personal security in the face of ongoing threats and abuse, some of which could be life-threatening.
The CSWs help survivors to understand their rights and the legal options available to them. They also help with the legal steps involved, and assist with filling out necessary paperwork, which is important for securing a Protection Order. This is particularly valuable because, for most people, the legal process appears complex and intimidating, and the assistance offered by the MOSAIC Court Support workers helps guide an already-traumatised person through the application process for the Order.
And, should a survivor require additional support, the staff will refer them to other relevant services offered by MOSAIC or collaborate with external organisations and stakeholders to ensure comprehensive support.
The MOSAIC support service becomes entrenched in our courts
An important factor in the success of this programme has been the acceptance of the courts of the initiative. “It initially got off the ground when the Magistrate of the Mitchell’s Plain Court welcomed MOSAIC into his court,” Rolene explains. After that, a number of other courts asked for MOSAIC’s services. The project recently expanded from the Western Cape to Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eden Karoo District.
“In addition to the many women we assist every year,” Rolene comments, “we also have on occasion helped men with Protection Order applications, and we are seeing an increasing number of young people seeking assistance in this regard, too. It’s perhaps an indication of the fact that our society experiences so much violence.”
MOSAIC is making a difference
Statistics for 2023 that demonstrate the MOSAIC impact:
• 9 445 people assisted with court processes
• Administration of 8 620 Protection Orders
• 7 028 Protection Orders granted
What can you do to assist your employees who may be struggling with abusive family members?
You may know someone or employ someone, such as a domestic worker or a worker in your business, who faces physical or emotional abuse or violence at home.
Rolene advises the following if you’d like to help:
• Find out about the services available through MOSAIC and other organisations, and share the information with the person at risk.
• Help to educate your employees about the support services they may need to tap into. This could involve arranging workshops at the workplace for your staff to be educated about GBV.
• Contact MOSAIC if you’d like to assist an employee to secure a Protection Order.
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