Johannesburg - While many women complain about how ineffective the police are in enforcing protection orders, one Pretoria woman has spoken about how officers have helped to save her life.
As part of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, the Waterkloof woman said she lived in fear of her abusive husband of two years. She said her husband, a member of the SA National Defence Force, abused her psychologically and emotionally.
She feared for her life to such an extent that, when the level 5 restrictions to curb Covid-19 were enforced, she fled from her home with her children. The couple are separated and don’t live together any more.
“While I was away, my house was burgled and my husband is the only suspect. The things that were taken were things that he was unhappy I took from our shared home,” the woman said.
“In the beginning, the police didn’t want to help me enforce the restraining order against him but I fought so much because I was scared that he would kill me.
“Through the police’s gender-based violence centres, I was assisted by People Opposing Women Abuse officials,” she said.
The woman obtained a final restraining order in August. The man was arrested after contravening the order by showing up at her home, and he is now out on bail.
She said since then, officers have been willing to assist her every time she calls with a complaint and they also patrol the area where she lives.
“Not many women in my situation survive,” she said.
“I know that the way my husband was behaving I would have died. There is no way I would have been alive if the police were not there. They really went out of their way to keep me alive.”
The woman said she understood that most abused women were killed after they left their relationships and that she felt lucky to be alive.
“Most people who die, die post the relationship. The reason I stayed was that I thought things would get better. For you to be a hero during the day and be abused at night, you want that part to go away.
“You think it’ll work out if you escalate it and tell the other people in the family. You think he’ll come to his senses and you don’t report it.”
She said by enforcing protection orders and listening to women, the police could save lives.
“I sleep well at night because I know that the police are willing to listen to me. I know that I am in the minority and I wish that more women received support from the police,” she said.
The Star