South Africa’s Justice System Comes Under Fire After Woman Is Jailed for 10 Years for Killing Abuser
- A mother of two was sentenced to 10 years in prison after she was found guilty of killing her serial abuser
- The courts failed to take into account that the woman was abused for over a year before killing the man
- Many South Africans are convinced that the justice system is very flawed in the country
JOHANNESBURG – The sentencing of a mother of two to ten years in jail for murder has left the country divided.
The woman was sentenced to a decade behind bars after she was found guilty of killing her abuser, with many saying that the justice system failed her.
Source: Getty Images
Woman abused for over a year
On the night of her arrest, the court heard how she was held against her will and raped and how the deceased abused her for over a year before that.
Despite the evidence presented by her defense, the court took none of it into account and found the mother of two guilty.
The Centre for Applied Legal Studies has now taken up the matter, hoping to earn her freedom, but netizens are undecided whether she should be free or not.
Saffas conflicted over court’s decision
Many are lashing out at the justice system for punishing the victim, but a small section of people believe she should pay for killing someone.
This is what social media had to say:
@TheGambit_ZA:
“The law decided that what the abuser was doing was not enough, so let's add ten more years and make sure you are not there to raise your kids as well. Nicely done💔💔😡😡😡”
@TheGeopol:
“Crime is crime guys; she had to be sentenced. Perhaps 10 years is too harsh, but she’ll be out in 5.”
@Mo_Senne:
“The law is designed to protect perpetrators before victims.”
@McColzos:
“Unfortunately, it's a crime. It’s a very tricky situation. Perhaps the law failed to protect her before her actions, but she committed a crime.”
@LauricaLepita:
“The law has failed her.😭💔”
@A4ONE_President:
“Our justice system continues to fail us.😡 Surely this should have been considered as self-defence..😔”
@TebohoPhofu:
“GBV won't be solved with our current justice system. Just look at our Minister of Justice being implicated in the VBS saga. We can't rely on the system to fight crime or protect us, especially for women.”
@landa_dyani:
“Our justice system is flawed💔”
Gogo Skhotheni speaks out on abuse
Domestic violence continues to be a serious concern in South Africa, with people from all walks of life affected.
The popular traditional healer Gogo Skhotheni was also the victim of domestic violence.
She recently shared how she, too, had suffered abuse over the past year, Briefly News previously reported.
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Source: Briefly News
