Read the latest legal news, updates and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar & Associates.
As we embark on another 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children Campaign (16 Days Campaign), which takes place from 25 November (International Day of No Violence against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day), we have nothing to celebrate. Rates of violence against women and children have been on […]
The issue of abusive men – reprinted from the Guardian. By Sonia Sodha – 2020-11-01 Once again, a male perpetrator of violence is painted as terribly misunderstood Reeva Steenkamp: shot to death through a bathroom door Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images Her name was Reeva Steenkamp. She was a 29-year-old model who was the face […]
Nude selfies and use of such apps should not be taken as ‘blanket consent’, says CPS Reprinted from the Guardian, by Caelainn Barr – 2020-10-19 Dating apps like Tinder have come out on top of conventional dating websites like Match.com, at least among those under 35. As users exchange intimate photos and messages before even […]
Elite Models boss Gérald Marie was one of the most powerful men in fashion. Was he also a sexual predator? As French prosecutors investigate, four women tell their stories for the first time Reprinted from the Guardian. A special investigation by Lucy Osborne – 2020-10-17 It is three years since the news broke about Harvey […]
Reprinted from joburg.org.za – 2020-08-19 The City expects law enforcement agencies to take stern action against perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), all the while guaranteeing protection for victims. It is incumbent on law enforcement officials to create safer conditions that ensure female victims reporting cases of violence against male perpetrators are not re-victimised. These are […]
This article was written by the executive director of White Ribbon Australia, part of a global social movement working to eliminate gendered violence. Replace “Australia” with “South Africa” and everything he says is equally true of our society. Inequality is so deeply embedded structurally that men and women alike see nothing wrong with mother-in-law jokes […]
While South Africa and the UK have experienced COVID-19 and lockdown differently, some of the consequences have been as global as the pandemic itself. We may not have the same number of children in care homes, but our children and adolescents face the same risks from online predators. With children spending more time online, and […]
Last week we shared some sentiments from Les Da Chef about the causes of gender-based violence in South Africa. While acknowledging the role alcohol plays in domestic abuse, he expressed his view that violence against women in our culture has much deeper roots than alcohol abuse alone, a view we share. But that doesn’t mean […]
‘The level of violence against women is beyond just alcohol consumption,’ says Les Da Chef When lockdown began and the alcohol ban was announced, we expressed reservations. While done with the best of intentions, we were not convinced it would curb the widespread incidence of domestic violence, despite the known links between alcohol and gender-based […]
We’ve written about coercive control previously. If you’re still unsure what behaviours can be classed as coercive control, this article from the UK Guardian tells one woman’s story. Sally Challen was convicted of murdering her abusive husband and sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment in 2011. Last year her conviction was overturned. Her son, David Challen, […]
If the world can unite to beat coronavirus, it should apply the same energy to rooting out abuse Reprinted from the Guardian 2020-05-30. By Graça Machel. Millions of women and children are fighting for survival from abusers in the prisons of their homes. Photograph: Patrick Baz/Abaad/AFP via Getty Images The pandemic is gifting us an […]
We’ve written a lot about the scourge of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) in our country. Sadly, we are seeing an increase in incidents during the national lockdown to combat COVID-19. One security company is fighting GBV. It has put in place a system to help its control centre evaluate the level of risk a […]
