The brutal reality of gender-based violence has again been laid bear with the emergence of shocking surveillance footage depicting a man purportedly assaulting his wife as their daughter tries to protect her mother.
AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit is acting on behalf of the mother and child. The accused man made an appearance in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town on several charges of assault on 24 January 2023.
The identities of the parties are being withheld because a minor is central to the case.
The surveillance footage will form part of the evidence against the accused, who is a successful businessman based in Cape Town.
In scenes reminiscent of the Jaco Swart assault case which spurned nationwide outrage and condemnation, a man can be seen on a bed overpowering a woman, punching her all over her body including her face, and strangling her. While he is doing this, a young girl tries to stop the assault.
Several incidents were captured by the couple’s closed-circuit TV.
In August 2018, the unit’s client opened a case of assault against her husband. The police arrested the accused, and he was later granted bail. Unfortunately, years of physical and emotional abuse had taken its toll on the woman and her daughter. Her then attorney told the prosecutor that they were emotionally unfit to testify – the case was subsequently withdrawn.
Following the release of the Jaco Swart video last year, AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit met with the woman who is now prepared to proceed with the case. The unit made representations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the matter was re-enrolled.
Barry Bateman, the unit’s spokesperson, thanked the NPA for placing the matter back on the roll. “We will keep a close eye on this case to ensure justice is done. We appeal to victims of gender-based violence to speak out and seek support. There will always be someone to stand by your side, like our unit which has assisted many women in similar positions,” says Bateman.
The matter was postponed to 16 February 2023.
Read the original article in Afrikaans on AfriForum
This video video may upset sensitive viewers.
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