POLICE NOT EQUIPPED TO TACKLE GBV

MBABANE – If you are being assaulted and you call the police, what are the chances police officers will promptly show up?

The answer is ‘very unlikely’, according to some police officers, transport is a huge challenge, so much so that they were now finding it nearly impossible to respond promptly to criminal activities, especially for matters relating to gender-based violence (GBV)  In Eswatini, GBV cases are said to be on a continuous rise, with some groups calling that it should be declared a national disaster, as this could give more resources to authorities to tackle it. Recently, this publication reported a GBV matter that resulted in the death of a woman who was allegedly killed by her husband, who then also forced their minor child to consume a poisonous chemical before killing himself.

Disgruntled

In a startling revelation, disgruntled police officers from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) have come forward to express their concerns regarding the challenges they face in combating GBV.  Speaking on condition of anonymity, some police officers shed light on the dire situation they normally encounter daily while working on GBV cases, due to a lack of necessary tools and resources. They said these concerns resulted in them struggling with the ability to effectively address GBV cases. One officer *Jomo, highlighted the inadequacy of resources, particularly in the form of specific vehicles for their duties.

They explained that REPS mostly use vans, typically used for apprehending criminals or transporting corpses. Jomo said, however, these vehicles are not suitable for transporting survivors of abuse or survivors of violence, and rape victims, to the police station or hospital for medical check-ups. As a result, officers are forced to rely on public transportation, further compromising the well-being and safety of the survivors.

Contaminated

Also a legal expert stated that one of the major reasons it was not advisable to transport survivors in the same vehicles as perpetrators was that they could become contaminated.
Explaining this, the legal officer stated that if a person commits rape and is transported in a vehicle, that vehicle becomes contaminated with the alleged rapist’s DNA. “If we then use the same vehicle to transport the survivor of the same alleged rape, then it’s possible that the survivor could carry some DNA of the alleged perpetrator left behind in the vehicle.
Another pressing issue raised by more police officers is the scarcity of appropriate winter uniforms. With the onset of colder weather, some police officers have resorted to wearing their own jerseys over their uniforms instead of having proper police winter attire.

Undermines

This lack of adequate clothing, not only affects their comfort, but also undermines their professionalism and credibility while carrying out their duties. It also makes it hard for people to recognise them as legitimate police officers. The officers said working without proper clothes to keep warm made it difficult to focus, especially during night-time. They revealed that some who were fortunate to have vehicles ended up spending a large part of the evening sitting inside their vehicles to make use of the heaters.  These revelations have caused concern among the officers, who asserted that their ability to effectively fight GBV was severely compromised by the lack of essential tools and resources. The situation is particularly dire in rural communities, where GBV cases appear to be on the rise.

Challenges

The absence of appropriate vehicles for transporting survivors and suspects further exacerbates the challenges faced by the police in these areas. Asked why the vans were not good enough. Jomo explained that most of the vans used in criminal cases were not in good condition for transport, for example someone that has been physically assaulted. “Imagine putting someone that has sustained injuries from assault in the back of a van on the steel floor? It is not right,” he said.

*Not real name.

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