Quality in Alternative Care, International Conference, Prague, 4 th April 2011

1. Quality in Alternative Care, International Conference,Prague, 4th April 2011 “INTERMEDIARY SERVICES FOR CHILD WITNESSES TESTIFYING IN SOUTH AFRICAN CRIMINAL COURTS” GERT J JONKER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE BETHANY HOUSE TRUST

2. Presentation outline • Introductory remarks • Challenge to civil society • Bethany House • Programs • Overview RSA • Criminal justice perspective • Overview Program • Child Witnesses

3. Introduction • Former President and elder statesman Nelson Mandela in his 1st State of the Nation address in 1994 said that: • “Our endeavours must be about the liberation of the women, the emancipation of the man and the liberty of the child...” • “And so we must, constrained by and yet regardless of the accumulated effect of our historical b burdens, seize the time to define for ourselves what we want to make of our shared destiny”

4. Introduction (cont) • Bethany House Trust • Established 1998 • Children’s Charity (Supreme Court) • Non Profit Organisation (Dept. Social Development) • Public Benefit Organisation (Revenue Service) • Child Protection Agency (Children’s Act) • 40 000 beneficiaries p.a.

5. Introduction (cont) • Bethany House Programs • Residential Care • Child & Youth Development Centres • Children found in need of care • Children living & working on street • Cluster Foster Care

6. Introduction (cont) • Child Protection Services • Victim Empowerment • Child Witnesses • Investigations • Crisis Line • Substance Abuse Diversion

7. Introduction (cont) • Centre of Learning • Curriculum development • Professional Parenting • Alternative Parenting • Family Reconstruction • Master Trainer • Diversion • Substance Abuse • Sexual Offences • Research

8. Introduction (cont) • Pregnancy Care Centre • Food Security

9. Introduction (cont) • 2009/10 – 2.1m crimes reported to police • 16 834 murders (965 children) • 68 332 sexual offences (27 417 children) • 197 284 assault (14 544 children) • 205 293 serious assault (12 062 children)

10. Project • Unique Public-Private Partnership • Bethany House, Dept. Social Dev & Dept. of Justice • Commenced April 2003 • Primary goal: ensure sustained, professional intermediary services to child witnesses • Case management database application developed for scheduling and tracking of cases • Data derived utilised • in welfare / policing / judicial planning / budgeting • Victim Profile • Perpetrator Profile

11. Why Intermediary Services? • Section 170A of Act 51 of 1977 as revised (Criminal Procedure Act) • Not Automatic Procedure • Children under age of 18 • Pre-Trial Assessment to determine whether testimony in open court will expose child to undue mental stress • Intermediary testifies to this effect • Court may appoint competent person as intermediary • Intention is to protect child witness from “undue mental stress”

12. Executive Summary • 7 Magisterial Areas • 11 Police Areas • 3 187 Criminal Cases • 3 339 Criminal Charges • 4 356 Child Witnesses • 3 605 Perpetrators

13. Team

14. Postponements

15. Charge Types

16. Child Witnesses / Magisterial District

17. Child Age

18. Child Gender

19. Perpetrator Age

20. Perpetrator Gender

21. Child / Perpetrator Relationship

22. Child / Perpetrator Relationship (cont)

23. Case Outcome

24. Challenges • Court Proceedings • Discretion of Judge / Magistrate • Pretoria High Court ruling 2008 • Constitutional Court • Language used in court • Low level of usage of intermediaries • Multiple Postponements • Cases Withdrawn in Court • Poor investigation • Evidence lost • Intimidation of witnesses

25. Challenges (cont) • Pre-trial intervention/s • Medico Legal • ARV’s • Court Preparation • Post Trial Intervention/s • Safety of witnesses • Therapy • Socio-Legal Centre

26. ‘Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail’ Contact: Gert J Jonker Chief Executive Officer Bethany House Trust Email: gertjonker@childincrisis.org.za