Victims need protection – experts
PEOPLE are afraid to come forward and participate in identity parades because of the lack of protection from SAPS and because there aren’t proper procedures in place when identifying suspects.
This is according to crime experts.
“Not all police stations are fitted with two-way glass or mirrors; this is a huge challenge within the police force when it comes to fighting crime,” said Johan Burger of the Institute for Security Studies. “Having a facility like this should be a priority in all police stations.”
Burger said that in the case of the Phoenix robbery victim, officers handling the case or the identity parade should have explained to her how the parade was going to work before they exposed her to the suspects.
“This could have determined her reaction, and if she was not comfortable they could have made other arrangements to have her identify the suspects without confronting them. If a victim is willing to identify her attackers, all precautions must be taken to ensure her safety,” he explained.
Burger said the lack of police resources was a growing concern and the SAPS needed to improve their standards if they wanted things to change.
Head of Crime Line South Africa Yusuf Abramjee said the manner in which identity parades were conducted was an ongoing issue.
“I have had many complaints from people informing me that they were willing to help police by identifying their attackers, but backed out because their identities were not protected.”
Abramjee said this was a leading cause of the country’s high crime rate.
“Criminals are not being prosecuted because the victims are afraid. You cannot take a person who had just been robbed and bring them face to face with their attackers. It is going to cause them to be fearful of their safety.
“Police need to provide a safe environment if they want results in the form of arrests and prosecutions,” he said.
“It is a disgrace and shocking on the part of the police. Proper action needs to be taken against the officers who attended to this woman. If we cannot get a simple identity parade right, how are we going to win the fight against crime in this country?”
The chairman of the Sydenham Community Policing Forum, Satish Dhupelia, said the victim should have been made aware of how the identity parade was going to be conducted before she was taken to the station.
“At the Sydenham police station we have an identity parade room with a viewing glass to protect the victim’s identity. The Inanda station should be equipped with a room like this. This is utter shoddiness from the police and these issues need to be addressed.”
He said it was vital for victims to identify their attackers so they could be prosecuted.