Women continue to withdraw abuse cases from courts

Many women continue to withdraw cases against their abusers despite the alarming GBV statistics in the country.On Tuesday, 29-year-old Khumo Patience Ramoruiwa appeared in Lobatse Magistrate’s Court to withdraw a case against her boyfriend, David Letlhatshana, who is accused of hurling stones at her and threatening her life. Ramoruiwa, who lives in Thema ward in Lobatse, told Magistrate Tshoganetso Atamelang that Letlhatshana is also the father of her child. She said their families had met to talk about the situation, and she had decided to forgive him. She explained that the fight started because she had taken the house keys when she went to Lotlhakane and accidentally locked her boyfriend’s depression medication inside.“I reported it because I was scared for my life. He strangled me and said he would kill me,” she told the court.The magistrate warned her about the implications of withdrawing the case, explaining that it could never be reinstated. He then told the boyfriend that he could go free, as he has been forgiven.The Midweek Sun conducted a vox-pop to understand why some women are withdrawing cases against their abusive partners.Several women shared their thoughts, citing societal pressure, economic dependence, and fear of retaliation as key factors. Elissa Banelang, Manyana village resident, explained that sometimes women forgive their partners to keep the relationship going."It is not easy to stand up against your partner when society looks down on you for doing so. Sometimes family members expect a woman to stay in the relationship, even when toxic and harmful, fearing backlash of being labelled 'return soldiers,'" she said, adding that divorced women are often unfairly labelled this way. Maano Leatile, from Kalamare village, cited not being financially independent and having nowhere to stay as contributing factors."I depend on my partner financially, and I fear that reporting him might leave me without support, no place to stay, and stranded," she said. Old Naledi resident, Sibongile Tau, a mother of three, spoke about the fear of retaliation."I once withdrew the case because I was afraid he would come after me and hurt my children. Sometimes, staying quiet feels like the safest option, even though it is not healthy," she said. Tebogo Motshegwa, who lives in Gaborone, Phase II, said societal expectations are a big problem."Women are often expected to keep their family together, no matter the abuse. It is like we are not allowed to speak up or make the tough decision to leave, even if it is the best for our own wellbeing," she said. Nthabiseng Mokute in Lobatse, talked about how the legal and social systems need improvement."It is not just about fear, sometimes, the legal system does not provide the help we need. The process is long and discouraging. We need better protection and more accessible resources," she said.Speaking at the National Conference on Crime recently, President Advocate Duma Boko expressed concerns that gender-based violence (GBV) has become a major issue.He suggested that now might be the time to go into communities and assess how people live in order to address the problem.He encouraged stakeholders and the public to share ideas on how GBV can be reduced. Botswana consistently ranks among the worst countries for GBV in non-conflict settings, with over 67 percent of women experiencing abuse, more than twice the global average, while 44 percent of men admit to perpetrating violence.

Explore

More

News

Women continue to withdraw abuse cases from courts