Petition Highlights

✔ Failure of SAPS to take accurate and lawful statements
✔ Victims forced to sign under duress
✔ Police protecting perpetrators and enabling retaliation
✔ Misuse of counter-charges to avoid justice
✔ Language barriers leading to lost or weak cases
✔ Police retaliation when complaints are made
✔ Urgent reforms demanded by citizens and civil society

“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
— Benjamin Franklin

We, the undersigned citizens of the Republic of South Africa, write to you with urgency and distress regarding the ongoing injustice faced by victims of domestic violence and rape, particularly at the hands of members of the South African Police Service (SAPS). We demand urgent action to confront a deeply flawed system that often fails survivors while protecting perpetrators.

Too often, victims—many of them women and children—report abuse or sexual violence to the police only to face disbelief, negligence, hostility, or even intimidation. The following disturbing practices have been consistently reported at police stations across the country:

• Protecting known perpetrators, due to personal relationships, bribery, or cultural bias
• Recording false, incomplete, or incorrect statements, which omit key details or misrepresent events
  Forcing victims to sign these flawed statements under duress, sometimes while they are still in trauma
• Refusing to correct or amend statements, even when victims return with clarifications
• Minimizing or dismissing rape allegations, or discouraging victims from opening cases
• Rushing the statement process, treating victims as a burden instead of vulnerable citizens in need
• Allowing perpetrators to file retaliatory counter-charges in an effort to mediate rather than prosecute, thereby evading justice
• Assigning officers who do not sufficiently understand or write in English, leading to serious miscommunication and compromised statements
• Engaging in retaliatory actions against complainants who raise concerns about police conduct, including threats, harassment, or the fabrication of charges
• The initial police statement is the foundation of any criminal case. When that foundation is flawed — because it is rushed through or carelessly taken — the entire case is likely to collapse. This systemic failure denies justice, retraumatizes survivors, and emboldens abusers.

Even more disturbing is that victims who attempt to report misconduct by SAPS officers—such as falsified statements, refusal to investigate, or intimidation—often face police retaliation. This retaliation deters survivors from coming forward, silences complaints, and erodes public trust in the justice system. Victims should not have to fear the very institution meant to protect them.

We Respectfully and Urgently Demand the Following:

Independent Investigations into Police Misconduct
A civilian oversight body must handle all complaints related to mishandling of domestic violence and rape cases.
Accountability and Prosecution of Officers
Officers who are found to have obstructed justice, falsified statements, or protected abusers must face legal consequences.
Mandatory Trauma-Informed Training
Officers must undergo certified GBV and trauma-sensitivity training before handling such cases.
Safe, Survivor-Centered Reporting Environments
Every station must have at least one designated, trained officer and private room for taking statements from survivors.
Guaranteed Right to Correct and Review Statements
Survivors must be given copies of their statements and the opportunity to revise incorrect or incomplete records.
Independent Oversight Authority for GBV-Related Complaints
A transparent, external mechanism should monitor how SAPS handles GBV complaints.
Transparent Reporting on Case Outcomes and Police Discipline
Publish annual data on disciplinary actions against officers who mishandle GBV/rape cases.
Language and Literacy Standards for Officers Taking Statements
Officers assigned to record statements must be literate in at least English and able to clearly communicate in the complainant’s language.
Ban on Counter-Charging in GBV/Rape Cases to Avoid Prosecution
Perpetrators must not be allowed to weaponize counter-charges to avoid trial. All GBV and rape allegations must go through full legal process, not mediation.
Enforce Survivor-Initiated Mediation Only — Never Forced
Mediation in cases of domestic violence should only occur if initiated by the victim, and never be used to pressure them to drop charges.
Protection for Whistleblowers and Complainants
Enforce strict consequences for SAPS officers who retaliate against complainants. Establish confidential reporting channels and support systems.

 
South Africa is in a gender-based violence crisis. While national policies exist, they are failing where they matter most — on the front lines, in police stations, where survivors turn for help. We call on you to take bold, immediate, and public action to reform SAPS practices and restore dignity, justice, and safety for victims.

Sincerely,
Karen Swartz (du Plessis)