MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Domestic violence has been a serious topic of discussion for the last few years.
With the murders of Karabo Mokeona, and Kgaugelo Tshawane at the hands of their abusive boyfriends' grabbing national attention, South Africans from all walks of life found themselves discussing domestic violence and femicide.
The statistics are shocking. In the Western Cape there were 34 209 cases of domestic violence for the financial year of 2018/2019.
Domestic violence is a problem in Mossel Bay just like it is in any other town. Issues such as domestic violence occur everywhere and anywhere, in households across all racial groups and income brackets. The Mossel Bay Advertiser spoke to Irene Archer of Creating Effective Families (CEF), a shelter for abused women and their children, to find out about the rates of domestic violence in Mossel Bay.
CEF admits abused women who are facing life-threatening domestic violence to stay at the shelter for a period of up to three months. Irene told us that they admit about 150 women and their children per year.
They also offer services to women on an outpatient basis who are facing domestic violence that is not life threatening. Outpatients usually number about 80 women per year.
The services provided include counselling, trauma debriefing and helping clients obtain protection orders against their abusers.
Irene described the vicious cycle of violence that their clients are trapped in, with many of the women experiencing physical and/or sexual abuse during their childhood and then becoming involved in adult relationships where abuse occurs.
Substance abuse is also a big problem, with many of the women themselves or their abusers having substance issues. It is difficult for the women to leave their partners, as many do not work and are financially dependent on them.
Not having the means to leave the situation, as well as a lack of affordable housing in Mossel Bay is the biggest obstacle that the shelter faces in helping their clients to create new independent lives for themselves and their children.
Other reasons why women are reluctant to leave their relationship is that in the vast majority of cases the man only abuses the woman and not their children. It seems that as long as the abuse is confined to themselves and does not extend to their children, women are more likely to stay.
Finally, there is what Irene calls the honeymoon phase. After a violent episode occurs and the woman is admitted to the shelter, the man often bends over backwards to show his love and caring for the woman and her children.
Taking on the role of the provider again, the men will bring necessities such as nappies in an effort to win his partner back.
Thankfully, only five percent of women admitted to the shelter return again after going back to their previous abusive relationships. These reasons are also why the majority of clients do not press charges against their abusers.
It is difficult for these women to even get police intervention when abuse occurs. The clients at the shelter often say that they have contacted police many times when abuse occurs, but unless they already have a protection order police are reluctant to intervene. This is despite the fact that when called to the scene of an incident if police have reason to believe that abused has occurred they must immediately arrest the respondent without a warrant.
Often getting the response of "Sort out your problems" when called out, the women lack faith in the police to arrest their abusers and the shelter does not feel that law enforcement are partners in combating this crime.
The Advertiser lodged a written inquiry into these claims with SAPS southern Cape spokesperson Malcolm Poje and is awaiting comment following their investigation into this matter.
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