#GenderBasedViolence

I am the sister of a victim of femicide. My sister, Charlene October, was murdered in July 2021 with her ex-husband now standing trial for her murder. I started a petition against his bail application, which was denied, and now I am starting a petition in support of Nicoleen Swart, the survivor of convicted wife-beater Jaco Swart, who has somehow managed to avoid a jail sentence for his crimes against his wife.

Link to the video of how she is brutally assaulted: CCTV footage  **Please note the video is graphic**

Swart, who openly refers to himself as a ‘hooligan’ on social media, was captured on CCTV beating the living daylights out of his estranged wife, Nicoleen. He dished out the savage attacks at his business premises - sometimes in full view of staff.

In what seemed like a fairly open and shut case, the judge stunned the public by sparing Jaco Swart a jail sentence on Tuesday, 7 June 2022. That’s despite the existence of footage which absolutely had him banged to rights. 

Jaco Swart was convicted of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, but not jailed. Swart was given a fine of R20 000, as well as three years’ imprisonment suspended for five years. This means that he has avoided incarceration, despite the existence of damning video footage.

The case had previously been struck off the roll by the NPA, before AfriForum sought a private prosecution.

The court ruled the clips of him pulverising his wife to be ‘inadmissible’ after their authenticity was questioned. Some of these brutal attacks against Nicoleen took place in front of the couple’s two children.

#Nicoleen Swart has expressed her disappointment with the sentencing, but says she is ‘delighted’ with the conviction: barrybateman / Twitter

Culled from TheSouthAfrican

LET'S STAND TOGETHER AGAINST GBV AND CALL ON THE NPA TO APPEAL JACO SWART’S MEAGRE SENTENCE! 

LET US BE THE MOUTHPIECES FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT SPEAK ANYMORE. THE ONES THAT COULDN'T LEAVE. LET'S ADVOCATE FOR THIS MONSTER TO BE JAILED!!! SA GOVERNMENT YOU OWE THIS TO US!