Moms ‘secondary victims’ of GBV

AS THE country observes 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Hanover Park mothers have spoken out about the secondary trauma caused by murders in their community.

Avril Andrews, founder of the Alcardo Andrews Foundation, said people had become used to living with violence.

The foundation was established in 2015 in honour of Andrews’ son who lost his life to gang violence, and his mom’s quest to assist other mothers affected by the loss of their children.

“Hanover Park is red with the ongoing violence. And the awareness is so important to our community who have almost normalised the violence they experience on a daily basis.

“It’s unfair that our communities feel this way, as if violence should just be accepted as a norm, but we have realised as NGOs that we have to be consistent to tell them ‘this is not okay’. We have to come together to pressure government to fight GBV.

“Mothers are left traumatised by the killings of their children and that’s secondary trauma. Whether their children were gangsters or not, the trauma stays with the mother who aches after her child was ripped away brutally through gang killings and drug turf conflicts,” said Andrews.

Hanover Park mother Anthea Smith found herself traumatised again after her second son was targeted in an alleged gang-related attack.

Six years ago, her youngest son, Keegan Smith, aged 15, was killed in a drive-by shooting. On Saturday, her eldest son, Monray, 24, was shot and wounded.

“I’m traumatised because the (gang boss) had even come to the hospital and told me he wanted my son dead. My son had gone outside when shots rang out and was hit as an innocent bystander,” said Smith.

“It’s scary thinking that I could lose another son because of gangsters wanting to run our communities. I’m traumatised, it has been difficult for me after he was shot.”