“If you are not happy with the service you received from police, come to us and we will follow up and assist you.”
Western Cape police ombudsman Maj-Gen Oswald Reddy (retired) made this call to the public on Monday, particularly when it comes to the way gender-based violence (GBV) cases are handled.
He was speaking as the country observes 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
“We offer a valuable service to the public. If you are not happy with the service you received we will assist you,” said Reddy.
“We take the 16 Days of Activism as an opportunity for us to say to victims of GBV who have reported their matters to police but who are unhappy with the service they received, ‘we are here to support you: reach out’.”
The National Instruction 7 of 1999 on Domestic Violence provides directives on how police must respond to and assist victims of domestic violence. They include:
A complainant may approach the police for assistance at any time, irrespective of when or where the incident took place, and police members may under no circumstances turn complainants away.
Complainants must be treated in a professional manner and be assured action will be taken.
A police member who attends to a domestic violence complaint must take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the complainant, including securing the scene and searching for and seizing dangerous weapons, such as a firearm, without a warrant.
The office of the provincial ombudsman has received 4,610 complaints from the public since its inception in December 2014.
TimesLIVE
‘Unhappy with police service? We can help you’: Western Cape police ombudsman on GBV cases
Image: 123RF/thainoipho
“If you are not happy with the service you received from police, come to us and we will follow up and assist you.”
Western Cape police ombudsman Maj-Gen Oswald Reddy (retired) made this call to the public on Monday, particularly when it comes to the way gender-based violence (GBV) cases are handled.
He was speaking as the country observes 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
“We offer a valuable service to the public. If you are not happy with the service you received we will assist you,” said Reddy.
“We take the 16 Days of Activism as an opportunity for us to say to victims of GBV who have reported their matters to police but who are unhappy with the service they received, ‘we are here to support you: reach out’.”
The National Instruction 7 of 1999 on Domestic Violence provides directives on how police must respond to and assist victims of domestic violence. They include:
A complainant may approach the police for assistance at any time, irrespective of when or where the incident took place, and police members may under no circumstances turn complainants away.
Complainants must be treated in a professional manner and be assured action will be taken.
A police member who attends to a domestic violence complaint must take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the complainant, including securing the scene and searching for and seizing dangerous weapons, such as a firearm, without a warrant.
The office of the provincial ombudsman has received 4,610 complaints from the public since its inception in December 2014.
TimesLIVE
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