By Sikho Ntshobane
INCIDENTS of domestic violence are down, but a sharp increase in rape cases continues to plague the Queenstown area, police confirmed this week at the onset of the annual national 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
The statement is in stark contrast to recent revelations by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, indicating that more than 71 000 gender violence-related incidents had been reported to the police nationwide between April 2008 and March this year.
Queenstown police spokesman Superintendent Gcinikhaya Taleni said fewer domestic violence cases had been reported between January and November this year in comparison with the same period last year.
"We are 240 cases down on reported domestic violence."
Taleni conceded rape continued to pose a major problem with almost 100 rapes reported between January and November.
Recent crime statistics have shown the Queenstown policing area as having the second highest number of rape cases in the Eastern Cape between 2008 and this year.
Mlungisi is said to have accounted for most of the incidents during the first five months of this year, culminating in the local police partnering with the Safety and Liaison Department in the launch of an Anti-Rape Awareness Campaign in August.
The initiative has been aimed at reducing the high rate of contact crimes, including rape and murder, in the area.
Queenstown police station commissioner director Denise Wagener, speaking on the situation earlier this year, said it was "shocking and unacceptable."
Taleni said this week that various platforms were being used to raise awareness on issues relating to crime, including gender-based violence. "The fact that more people are coming forward means such endeavors are starting to have a positive impact in sensitizing people."
He lauded the impact of initiatives like the 16 Days of Activism campaign which started on Wednesday and ends on December 10.
Queenstown Magistrate's Court head Victor Nqumse said the justice system had had successful convictions on a number of gender-based violence cases. He could not say whether there had been a detected decrease or increase in such cases.
"The decrease or increase becomes relative depending on which side you are looking at it from.
We believe that people are becoming more aware and are coming forward to report such cases."
Nqumse highlighted alcohol abuse as a contributory factor in most gender violence cases. Although the court had issued a substantial number of protection orders over the years, the fact that some respondents could not be served on time had previously posed a challenge.
He claimed that such issues had been addressed in a bid to ensure that the process of prosecuting the perpetrators of abuse was not prolonged.
The Rep could not obtain figures on the number of reported rape incidents at the Ethembeni Rape Crisis Centre as employees said they were not permitted to speak to the media.
Instead the newspaper was referred to the office of Komani Hospital Chief Executive Officer Mandisa Oliphant who could not be reached at the time of going to print. Attempts to solicit comment from the Queenstown Child Welfare Society also proved futile this week.
In Dispatch Online .
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
