The Rape Survivors’ Justice Campaign

The Rape Survivors’ Justice Campaign advocates for the planned and funded rollout of sexual offences courts. These courts are the key to restoring faith in the criminal justice system.

ABOUT RSJC

What is the Rape Survivors’ Justice Campaign?

The Rape Survivors’ Justice Campaign advocates for the planned and funded rollout of sexual offences courts. These courts are the key to restoring faith in the criminal justice system as well as increasing conviction rates for rape and decreasing the secondary victimisation of rape survivors.

SEXUAL OFFENCES COURTS

What is special about sexual offences courts?

Sexual Offences Courts are specialized courts that specifically deal with sexual offences and provide special services to survivors. These courts are sensitive to the survivor and help to: reduce the trauma, speed up cases, deliver better court judgements thanks to better skilled court personnel and better support for survivors, increase reporting of rape and increase convictions.

The idea of Sexual Offences Courts was developed in South Africa. Eventually, this concept earned recognition across the world as something highly efficient.

In 2013, a new Sexual Offences Court Model was developed as a way to set out the requirements for other Sexual Offences Courts. They have specially trained prosecutors and magistrates as well as a special court room, a separate waiting rooms for survivors and witnesses and a special testifying room with CCTV equipment.

How does the campaign mobilise communities?

Trained community activists build a shared political understanding and raise awareness and mobilise their communities, who demand that sexual offences courts be established. Our advocacy specialist together with coalition partner organisations does research and gathers intelligence that enables them to identify decision makers, influence makers and stakeholders as targets for lobbying and to give input into relevant policy and legislation. The results of this lobbying is taken as feedback to community workshops as part of community mobilising efforts so that the community is better able to decide on further demands. In this way a network of political relationships – a sisterhood in fact – is formed and strengthened.

THE STEPS WE TAKE TO MOBILISE COMMUNITIES

Rape Crisis

Build understanding & raise awareness

Rape Crisis

Perform research & gather intelligence

Rape Crisis

Feedback & community mobilising

How does the campaign lobby government?

Our lobbying activities focus on the government departments responsible for the rollout of sexual offences courts as well as the parliamentary structures responsible for overseeing the work of these government departments. In order to lobby these decision makers, we do constant research.

In our efforts to raise awareness among stakeholders and lobbying decision makers, we make use of formal media and social media in order to amplify our message.

Ways to support the Rape Survivors Justice Campaign

Join our social media platforms by hitting “Like” on our Facebook Page and following us on Twitter.
Share the posts, tweets and articles with your friends on your own social media platforms and tell people why you support this campaign. This way, our message reaches a wider audience.
When we have public protest actions, join us physically or by sharing our message on social media.
Consider donating to the Rape Survivors Justice Campaign to help us continue to do this work.
Subscribe to the campaign to stay up to date.