Survivor from Atlantis

Nicky from Atlantis, who wished to be identified only by her first name, reported suffering years of abuse at the hands of her partner, who was also the father to her three children. She was reluctant to pursue a case because she was reliant on him for a place for her and her children to live.

Eventually, things got so bad that she had no other option but to seek a protection order. The police also transferred her case against her partner for rape and attempted murder to the court. But Nicky said the court dismissed the case when she did not appear for a hearing. She said no one kept her informed on where she needed to appear, or what was happening, and she ended up in the wrong location.

She did get a protection order in 2018, but no one took the time to explain to her what it meant or what her rights were, and her partner violated the order repeatedly.

“My partner had so many transgressions against me, and when you contact the police, they do not come out immediately… I was always in fear, because he followed me to my place of work, he followed me to our children’s school. It was really a dark period in my life.”

Nicky now wants to share her experiences to help others.

“I want to make a difference in someone else’s life so that I can relieve some of their pain, purely out of my experience and witnessing what was done to me. And whatever happens, I truly hope that the crime in Atlantis and gender-based violence will be reduced. This is only possible if the police begin to tackle challenges seriously and not treat the victims as if they are the criminals, because we are in need of help.”