What Needs to Be Done

The work of WJW and its partners revealed major flaws and shortcomings at every step of the justice process. Survivors are repeatedly failed and exposed to re-traumatization, leading to disillusionment with the system. 92% of women surveyed reported that they had less trust in the system after going through the criminal justice process than they had before reporting.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Department of Health, the South African Police Service, and the Thuthuzela Care Centers (TCCs) should:

• Undertake urgent reform and provide adequate funding to ensure gender-based violence survivors can access justice, including information relating to their case, and available services, and are treated with care, respect, and dignity at every stage of the justice process.
• Increase survivor-centered training for the police, medical practitioners, prosecutors, judges, and others working with survivors in the justice system; and ensure accountability including use of disciplinary proceedings for misconduct of officials in gender-based violence cases.
• Enhance accessibility to and provision of survivor-centered services in police stations, hospitals, TCCs, courts, and increase coordination between institutions.

Increased accountability and survivor-centered training for the police, medical practitioners, prosecutors, judges, and others working with survivors in the justice system is an immediate necessity. So too is enhanced accessibility to and provision of survivor-centered services in police stations, hospitals, TCCs, courts, and at every touchpoint for survivors in their fight for justice.