Case tracker database enters GBV war
System to capture court cases progress
A newly established nonprofit organisation aims to fight the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country by tracking and tracing all reported cases until they reach finality.
GBV Monitor SA also seeks to conduct research that shows weaknesses in the criminal justice system that lead to cases either getting withdrawn or failing to be successfully prosecuted.
Started by former Tshwane and Joburg mayoral spokesperson Omogolo Taunyane-Mnguni, the organisation wants to challenge what it calls institutional tendencies to do nothing in response to the scourge. The organisation launched its website (www.gbvmonitorsa.co.za) yesterday, which features a GBV case tracker system and it sources its information from the National Prosecuting Authority and media reports.
The tracker gives you up-todate statuses about a case, including when it was reported, where it took place and the name of the presiding magistrate on the case, said Taunyane-Mnguni.
Just after 2pm yesterday, it had 85 cases. Taunyane-Mnguni said the organisation had a deliberate rural bias due to the lack of information and access to justice for GBV victims in areas situated far away from urban centres.
She said the organisation would look into how many police stations have rape kits and in instances where there were no rape kits, are officials trained to always advise survivors to visit the nearest doctor to fill a J88 medico-legal form, for example.
“These are just some examples of what we interrogate as a research philosophy.”
Taunyane-Mnguni said they will also contact journalists working on the cases in an effort to “populate the tracker where information is missing”.
“This is a platform that is dedicated to reporting on GBV. In most cases, investigating officers don’t provide status updates as developments occur. This accountability measure will compel law enforcement officers to treat reported cases with the sensitivity it deserves, protecting the dignity of the survivor.”
Taunyane-Mnguni said her own frustrations with the country’s “staggeringly high GBV rates that are on a consistently increasing trend and poor societal response to this is what motivated me to persevere in bringing this to life”.
“If you visit our website, you’ll be met with a home page that has information about what we do and why our work is important. You have a direct link to the GBV tracker, which is currently tracking incidents as far back as February 2021.”
All the work that the organisation has done so far has been self-funded.
“We are targeting partnerships that will enable us to capacitate the organisation with the resources it needs so fundraising is critical to our success,” she said.
NPA head of communications Bulelwa Makeke said they were excited that the organisation had a rural bias.
“We are able to help her because we prosecute all the cases so we know all the cases, even those ones that may appear insignificant because of the geographical area and media access. So, it’s a good thing that we are able to provide that kind of a service to a platform of this nature,” Makeke said.