Intermediary Services For Child Witnesses
Testifying In Criminal Court Proceedings

by

Gert J. Jonker

 
 
 
 

Gert J. Jonker is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bethany House Trust IT1092/98.

The Bethany House Trust

• Established 1998
• Project of Child in Crisis Foundation (SA)
• Registered Children's Charity (Supreme Court)
• Registered Non Profit Organisation (NGO)
• Registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO)

The Bethany House Trust - Governance

• Board of Trustees
  • Ian Smart
  • Adv. Frances Bosman
  • Past. Dan Mogano
  • Dr. Gina Rowe
  • Glynes Dube
• Board of Reference
  • Senior Supt. Anneke Pienaar – SAPS - FCS National Unit Commander
  • Prof. Desere de Kock – UNISA
  • Dr. Irma Labuschagne
  • Waldemar Gray

Pilot Project

• Unique Public-Private Partnership
• Bethany House, Dept. SocDev & Dept. Justice
• Commenced April 2003 for 3 years
• Primary goal to ensure sustained, professional intermediary services to child witnesses
• In addition to intermediary services, a unique case management database application was developed for the scheduling and tracking of cases
• Data derived can be utilised in welfare / policing / judicial planning / budgetting

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

Executive Summary

• 6 Magisterial Areas
  • 6 Magistrates Courts (2003/4)
  • 4 Magistrates Courts (2004/5)
• 9 Police Areas
• 894 Criminal Cases
• 915 Criminal Charges
• 1 169 Child Witnesses
• 1 000 Perpetrators

• Cases per magisterial district

• Cases per magisterial district

• Cases per police area

• Cases per police area

• Charge type

• Charge type

• Child witnesses per magisterial district

• Child witnesses per magisterial district

• Child witnesses per police area

• Child witnesses per police area

• Perpetrator per magisterial area

• Perpetrator per magisterial area

• Perpetrator per police area

• Perpetrator per police area

• Child witness age

• Child witness age

• Child witness gender

• Child witness gender

• Child witness mother tongue

• Child witness mother tongue

• Perpetrator age

• Perpetrator age

• Perpetrator gender

• Perpetrator gender

• Perpetrator mother tongue

• Perpetrator mother tongue

• Child Witness / Perpetrator Relationship

• Child Witness / Perpetrator Relationship

• Case outcome

• Case outcome

Cost of Service?

• Provincial
  • Intermediary Service Only: R1 185.00 per child witness
    • Pre-trial Assessment
    • Intermediary Service in Court
    • Scheduling, Administration & Database Management
  • Research Component Only: R185.00 per child witness
    • Scheduling
    • Tracking
    • Monthly / Quarterly / Annual Reports

Cost of Service?

Way forward?

• Renew Partnership (SocDev and/ or Justice)
• Additional Criteria For Analysis
  • Day of Week (e.g. Saturday)
  • Time of Week (e.g. 11H45)
  • Location (e.g. public park, brick dwelling)
  • Specific Place at location (e.g. bathroom in dwelling)
  • Accused represented during court proceedings
  • No of postponements
  • Time from incident to testimony in court
• Apply Findings
  • Welfare Planning – programmes & expenditure
  • Policing – prevention & investigation
  • Judicial – trial & sentencing

Way forward? (cont)

• Roll out service
  • Provincial
    • Intermediary Service
    • Research Component
    • Both
  • National
    • Intemediary Service
    • Research Component
    • Both

 

Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
Criminal Justice Conference Proceedings