Prosecutors trained on handling SODV crimes
MBABANE – To strengthen the protection of vulnerable groups from crimes that arise in conflicted environments, the DPP is capacitating prosecutors on prosecuting conflict-related sexual violence crimes.
The director of public prosecutions (DPP), under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, is doing this in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftungrule of law programme for Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Nations (UN) International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunal.
The seminar has brought 25 prosecutors from all corners of the country. The Konrad Adenauer Stiftungrule of law programme for Sub-Saharan Africa helps in developing and strengthening effective legal systems in line with international laws in countries.
The seminar is aimed at capacitating prosecutors on how to handle conflict related sexual violence crimes.
The Acting DPP, Lomvula Hlophe, highlighted that Eswatini was the first country in the SADC region to host a seminar of this kind, which brought together international giant legal heads.
The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pholile Shakantu, officially opened the three-day seminar, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Mbabane.
The minister said the seminar came at an opportune time where the global community was experiencing a surge in sexual offences. She said most of these offences were committed against vulnerable individuals, mostly the defenceless women and children.
“They are very high where there are conflicts or wars. Therefore, this seminar will help capacitate prosecutors to ensure that the country is not a haven for criminals because crime has no boundaries,” she said.
She disclosed that the legal practitioners would be capacitated on international crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as sexual violence crimes. They will have discussions on challenges in national and international prosecutions, addressing courtroom challenges in sexual violence cases among others.
Shakantu added that the seminar was a call upon the office of the DPP to analytically review the prevailing laws to ensure that they adequately addressed the issues of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and advocate for enhancement of the laws in order to be in line with the dynamics of evolving crimes.
“His Majesty’s government, in particular the Ministry of Justice and ConstitutionalAffairs, appreciates the partnership that exists between the UN international residual mechanism for criminal tribunals’ office of the prosecutor and our local office. We also appreciate the role of the office of the prosecutor in its mandate to fight crimes against humanity and once again we pledge our support to the office in areas of mutual interest,” she said.
The minister urged participants to share experiences with their counterparts from the international community and their colleagues.
She assured that after the training, the prosecutors would be greatly equipped and ready to apply whatever they learnt from the seminar in their day-to-day work as they go back to court to deal with such cases.