Windhoek
The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has extended its condolences to the family of Leticia du Plessis whose murder, it says, should not be overlooked by society in a country where cases of GBV have reached epidemic proportions.
“The scourge of domestic violence in Namibia has reached epidemic proportions and reports suggest that there are too many cases where there has been little or no protection or assistance from the police,” said Bernadine Mynhardt-Jansen a legal practitioner at the public interest law firm.
According to media reports, the victim, prior to the gruesome attack that ended her life and orphaned her children, made numerous complaints against the perpetrator to the police, including a complaint of kidnapping and assault during December 2015.
“The Legal Assistance Centre is horrified by these reports and condemns any form of procrastination by Nampol. The lack of police protection and support in cases like these contributes to the cause of our communities being torn apart and our children orphaned,” further says Mynhardt-Jansen.
Nampol’s vision states verbatim: “To protect and serve all people in Namibia.”
Mynhardt-Jansen further reminded the police that their mission statement promises: “To render the necessary quality service, as laid down in the Police Act, with due consideration for the fundamental human rights and freedoms, without compromising in upholding the tenets of law and order, safety and security of all persons.”
Lastly, they emphasize that their values include: “To be accountable to the nation and the community we are serving.”
The constitution provides for the protection of all persons’ life and liberty and respect for human dignity. The police not only promise to do so in their vision and mission statements, but have a duty to do so in terms of the law, she adds.
“How did the police offer the victim enough protection? How did they uphold her rights? Who can we call on if we cannot call upon the police to protect us?” she queried
The LAC called on the Ministry of Safety and Security to live true to its values and take responsibility for their failure to protect vulnerable persons in society.
“Not only do they have a duty to protect persons who suffer from violence at the hands of their partners but they must do better in training their officers to ensure that complaints of domestic violence are promptly and adequately investigated and acted upon,” she stated.
She also felt “the police of Rehoboth specifically had an obligation to investigate the complaints laid by the victim and to take all the necessary steps to ensure that the perpetrator was brought to justice. Anything less constitutes gross negligence on their part in fulfilling and carrying out their duties and powers to protect the safety of all.”
In retrospect, she said: “The blame does not lie with the police alone. We as members of society have a duty to protect our families and our neighbours, to keep them safe from harm. Preventing such horrible murders is a responsibility for us all.”