Hands Off My Police Officers

Delays in concluding murder cases, some stretching for 10 years or more, are not the fault of the Botswana Police Service, Police Commissioner Dinah Marathe has said.

Marathe said investigations are rarely the cause of delays, but that the overloaded court system is the main bottleneck.

Her remarks come amid growing public concern over murder trials that drag on for years without conclusion. Court often hears that investigations are incomplete, months from the time the case was registered.

It is this response that often suggests that the police are not doing enough to get justice for the victimised.

The delays can stretch too far to the extent that when the matter finally goes for trial some witnesses would have died while others are unable to vividly recall details of the incident.

Marathe revealed that approximately 70 percent of murder cases are resolved within a short period at investigation stage.

“In most murder cases, investigations are completed quickly, the criminal justice cycle is not delayed by investigations, especially in murder cases,” she said.

According to the Commissioner, only about 30 percent of murder cases are complex saying those often require intricate forensic work, multiple witnesses or technical scientific analysis.

The majority are straightforward cases, often arising from alcohol-fuelled disputes and are detected, and suspects arrested.

“Some cases involve people who were drinking in a shebeen. The suspect is known, we take exhibits to the lab, and within three months, investigations are complete,” she said.

However, she acknowledged that despite swift investigations, cases can take years to conclude in court due to the sheer volume of matters before judges.

“There are so many murder cases in this country, and the number keeps growing,” Marathe said, suggesting that judicial capacity is strained by the rising number of serious offences.

She however noted that scientific support has strengthened the police’s ability to solve serious crimes, including murder and rape.

Through forensic evidence, DNA analysis and laboratory work, suspects can be identified and arrested even when crimes were committed years back.

The Commissioner admitted that reducing case backlogs will require a broader criminal justice reform beyond policing alone but also stressed that preventing murders in the first place is equally critical.