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Quality in Alternative Care, International Conference,
Prague, 4th April 2011
“INTERMEDIARY SERVICES FOR CHILD WITNESSES TESTIFYING IN SOUTH AFRICAN CRIMINAL COURTS”
GERT J JONKER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE BETHANY HOUSE TRUST
Presentation outline Introductory remarks
Challenge to civil society Bethany House Programs
Overview RSA Criminal justice perspective
Overview Program Child Witnesses
2
Introduction Former President and elder statesman
Nelson Mandela in his 1st State of the Nation address in 1994 said that: “Our endeavours must be about the liberation
of the women, the emancipation of the man and the liberty of the child...”
“And so we must, constrained by and yet regardless of the accumulated effect of our historical b burdens, seize the time to define for ourselves what we want to make of our shared destiny”
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Introduction (cont) Bethany House Trust Established 1998 Children’s Charity (Supreme Court)
Non Profit Organisation (Dept. Social Development)
Public Benefit Organisation (Revenue Service)
Child Protection Agency (Children’s Act)
40 000 beneficiaries p.a.
Introduction (cont) Bethany House Programs
Residential Care Child & Youth Development Centres
Children found in need of care Children living & working on street
Cluster Foster Care
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Introduction (cont)
Child Protection Services Victim Empowerment Child Witnesses Investigations Crisis Line Substance Abuse Diversion
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Introduction (cont)
Centre of Learning Curriculum development
Professional Parenting Alternative Parenting Family Reconstruction Master Trainer
Diversion Substance Abuse Sexual Offences
Research
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Introduction (cont)
Pregnancy Care Centre Food Security
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Introduction (cont)
2009/10 – 2.1m crimes reported to police 16 834 murders (965 children) 68 332 sexual offences (27 417 children) 197 284 assault (14 544 children) 205 293 serious assault (12 062 children)
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Project Unique Public-Private Partnership Bethany House, Dept. Social Dev & Dept. of
Justice Commenced April 2003 Primary goal: ensure sustained, professional
intermediary services to child witnesses Case management database application
developed for scheduling and tracking of cases
Data derived utilised in welfare / policing / judicial planning / budgeting Victim Profile Perpetrator Profile
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Why Intermediary Services? Section 170A of Act 51 of 1977 as revised
(Criminal Procedure Act) Not Automatic Procedure Children under age of 18 Pre-Trial Assessment to determine whether
testimony in open court will expose child to undue mental stress
Intermediary testifies to this effect Court may appoint competent person as
intermediary Intention is to protect child witness from
“undue mental stress”
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Executive Summary 7 Magisterial Areas 11 Police Areas 3 187 Criminal Cases 3 339 Criminal Charges 4 356 Child Witnesses 3 605 Perpetrators
Team
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Intermediary Profession No %
Child & Youth Care Worker 11 28.95
Social Worker 16 42.11
Teacher 11 28.95
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Postponements
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Postponements No %0 210 22.561 242 25.992 151 16.223 98 10.534 70 7.525 47 5.056 38 4.087 19 2.048 16 1.729 9 0.9710 8 0.8611 4 0.4312 6 0.6413 4 0.4314 4 0.4315 2 0.2116 1 0.1123 1 0.1148 1 0.11
931
Charge Types
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Arso
n
Assa
ult
Atte
mp
ted
Mu
rder
Atte
mp
ted
Rap
e
Ch
ild A
bu
se
Cu
lpab
le H
om
icide
Fam
ily V
iole
nce
Gre
vio
us B
od
ily H
arm
Hou
se B
reakin
g
Ind
ece
nt A
ssau
lt
Ind
ece
nt E
xp
osu
re
Kid
nap
pin
g
Mu
rder
Pu
blic In
dece
ncy
Rap
e
Reck
less &
Neg
ligen
t Driv
ing
Rob
bery
Sta
tuto
ry R
ap
e
Th
eft
Van
dalism
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
4 96 33 56 3 22 2 16 3
635
2 12 47 4
2309
9 65 8 9 4
Child Witnesses / Magisterial District
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Court Name Magisterial District No. %Atlantis Regional Court Cape 2 0.05Krugersdorp Krugersdorp 9 0.21Oberholzer Carltonville 7 0.16Protea Glen Soweto 1 0.02Randfontein Randfontein 2234 51.29Roodepoort Roodepoort 1519 34.87Westonaria Westonaria 584 13.41
4356
Child Age
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Child Age No. %2 years old 3 0.073 years old 91 2.094 years old 92 2.115 years old 205 4.716 years old 388 8.917 years old 244 5.608 years old 242 5.569 years old 274 6.2910 years old 365 8.3811 years old 382 8.7712 years old 319 7.3213 years old 557 12.7914 years old 334 7.6715 years old 378 8.6816 years old 288 6.6117 years old 164 3.7618 years old 6 0.1419 years old 7 0.1621 years old 7 0.1629 years old 1 0.0230 years old 1 0.0231 years old 4 0.0933 years old 4 0.09
4356
Child Gender
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Boy, 662
Girl, 3694
Perpetrator Age
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Age Range No. %Under 19 741 20.55From 19 to 291250 34.67From 30 to 39870 24.13From 40 to 49443 12.29From 50 to 59210 5.83Over 59 91 2.52
3605
Perpetrator Gender
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Female; 123
Male; 3482
Child / Perpetrator Relationship
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Boyfrie
nd
Bro
ther
Bro
ther-in
-law
Cla
ss Mate
- Fem
ale
Cla
ss Mate
- Male
Com
mu
nity
Male
Fath
er
Fem
ale
Frie
nd
Fem
ale
Rela
tive
Fem
ale
Teach
er
Foste
r Fath
er
Foste
r Moth
er
Gra
nd
fath
er
Gra
nd
moth
er
Male
Frie
nd
Male
Rela
tive
Male
Teach
er
Moth
er
Moth
er's b
oyfrie
nd
Neig
hb
ou
r - Fem
ale
Neig
hb
ou
r - Male
Siste
r
Ste
p B
roth
er
Ste
p F
ath
er
Ste
p G
ran
dfa
ther
Ste
p M
oth
er
Un
kn
ow
n F
em
ale
Un
kn
ow
n M
ale
Un
rela
ted
Fem
ale
Un
rela
ted
Male
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
27 29 10 3013425221
12 2 10 6 7152
6133
378
7 33 64 6
607
4 13196
1 4 8
1946
31
819
Child / Perpetrator Relationship (cont)
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Related; 825
Unrelated; 4096
Case Outcome
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Outcome No %Guilty 295 45.95Not Guilty 25 3.89Withdrawn 322 50.16
642
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Challenges Court Proceedings
Discretion of Judge / Magistrate Pretoria High Court ruling 2008 Constitutional Court
Language used in court Low level of usage of intermediaries Multiple Postponements
Cases Withdrawn in Court Poor investigation Evidence lost Intimidation of witnesses
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Pre-trial intervention/s Medico Legal ARV’s Court Preparation
Post Trial Intervention/s Safety of witnesses Therapy
Socio-Legal Centre
Challenges (cont)
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‘Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a
trail’Contact: Gert J Jonker
Chief Executive Officer
Bethany House Trust
Email: [email protected]
