Govt to review sentencing laws for sex offenders
NAMPA
WINDHOEK
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the seriousness of the ongoing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the country and demands from protesters have forced government to review sentencing laws for offenders.
She made the announcement on Tuesday during a parliament session while responding to a petition submitted last week to the Speaker of the National Assembly by SGBV protestors. In their petition, the protestors are demanding that government, through the lawmakers, should introduce tough laws that will deter offenders from raping and killing women and young girls, charging that the current laws and the police force are not doing enough to protect society, especially women and girls, from perpetrators. The prime minister responded that government has already commenced research on the establishment and implementation of various laws that will give power to Namibian courts to hand out long sentences and punishments to sex offenders and other SGBV-related criminal activities.
SGBV offences court
“Indeed, the seriousness of SGBV justifies that the punishment reflects that; the current law provides for sentences for convicted SGBV offenders of up to 37 and a half years. A convicted person must serve 25 years before being eligible for parole. We in the executive shall continue to work to ensure capacity for efficient and effective investigations to support effective holding to account of SGBV perpetrators by the courts,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
She added that government agreed to establish a SGBV offences court, and said the existing court infrastructure will be used in this regard.
Where space is a constraint within the sector, arrangements will be made to use other available infrastructure, she added.
“Measures are ongoing to compile a database of all active cases on the court rolls and to undertake a joint investigation into why investigations are not finalised and for pending cases to be prioritised according to the age of victims, age of cases and complexity of investigations. Also to contact the victim's family in each pending case to update them on the status of the case and provide psycho-social support to victims, witnesses and prepare them for trial,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
She further added that government is also reviewing current prisoners in the correctional services system in order to separate known repeat-offenders.
WINDHOEK
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the seriousness of the ongoing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the country and demands from protesters have forced government to review sentencing laws for offenders.
She made the announcement on Tuesday during a parliament session while responding to a petition submitted last week to the Speaker of the National Assembly by SGBV protestors. In their petition, the protestors are demanding that government, through the lawmakers, should introduce tough laws that will deter offenders from raping and killing women and young girls, charging that the current laws and the police force are not doing enough to protect society, especially women and girls, from perpetrators. The prime minister responded that government has already commenced research on the establishment and implementation of various laws that will give power to Namibian courts to hand out long sentences and punishments to sex offenders and other SGBV-related criminal activities.
SGBV offences court
“Indeed, the seriousness of SGBV justifies that the punishment reflects that; the current law provides for sentences for convicted SGBV offenders of up to 37 and a half years. A convicted person must serve 25 years before being eligible for parole. We in the executive shall continue to work to ensure capacity for efficient and effective investigations to support effective holding to account of SGBV perpetrators by the courts,” said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
She added that government agreed to establish a SGBV offences court, and said the existing court infrastructure will be used in this regard.
Where space is a constraint within the sector, arrangements will be made to use other available infrastructure, she added.
“Measures are ongoing to compile a database of all active cases on the court rolls and to undertake a joint investigation into why investigations are not finalised and for pending cases to be prioritised according to the age of victims, age of cases and complexity of investigations. Also to contact the victim's family in each pending case to update them on the status of the case and provide psycho-social support to victims, witnesses and prepare them for trial,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
She further added that government is also reviewing current prisoners in the correctional services system in order to separate known repeat-offenders.
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