Treating domestic violence as a private matter is problematic

Today marks the end of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence campaign. However, during the campaign cases of women being killed made it to news headlines and social media trends.

Some of the cases include that of 21-year-old Precious Ramabulana who was stabbed 52 times, sexually assaulted and murdered and 18-year-old Gomolemo Legae who was raped, stabbed and set alight, allegedly by someone known to her family.

Bongani Bingwa speaks to South African Police Service (SAPS) Investigative Psychology Unit section commander Colonel Kirsten Clark.

Something we are picking up and is quite concerning is that there is a culture of violence that is being perpetrated throughout South Africa as a whole where violence is seen as a way of dealing with a number of issues.
— Colonel Kirsten Clark, Section commander - SAPS Investigative Psychology Unit

Another problem is the sense of entitlement and ownership that is coming out quite strongly.
— Colonel Kirsten Clark, Section commander - SAPS Investigative Psychology Unit

Clark says they are working on changing a number of perceptions when it comes to dealing with victims of violence.

Soul City Institute for Social Justice CEO Lebo Ramafoko says part of the problem they are dealing with is the notion that domestic violence is a private matter.

If we are going to promote that is it a private matter it will mean that we are going to stand and fold our arms when everybody else gets killed until it happens in the street.
— Lebo Ramafoko, CEO - Soul City Institute for Social Justice

Listen to the full interview:

Original article here.

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