An Analysis into the South African Police Services’ Role in Assisting Victims of Gender-Based Violence

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a scourge that has affected the lives of many South Africans and has also become problematic in other countries around the world. This scourge has led to the loss of many people’s lives. Studies show that, in most cases, it is women and children whose lives are most at risk. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the first point of contact for victims when they seek recourse through the criminal justice system for GBV. This means that victims of GBV have to report to the SAPS if they want to open up a criminal case against the perpetrator; the SAPS are therefore the first respondents to a GBV offence. It is, therefore, important that the general public be informed about the services that the SAPS can offer to victims of GBV, so that people can know of these services and know what to expect when they approach SAPS. This can help to save lives. This paper has examined the effects that GBV-related attacks have on victims and the kind of services that victims of GBV can get from the SAPS. The paper has provided information that can benefit victims and people who wish to know more about the kinds of services that they can get from the SAPS. The research methodology that was used in this study is meta-analysis. This methodology was adopted to collect and analyse data, and make findings from the literature collected. The data that was collected and analysed, outline the importance of reporting a GBV case to the SAPS. The data also outlines the services that the SAPS can offer to victims of GBV once a case is reported. The paper further indicates that SAPS services to victims of GBV are not that well known by the victims of GBV or the general public. Hence, recommendations are provided that can be used to inform the public about the services that the SAPS can offer to victims of GBV.