Introduction 

The TLAC, in partnership with the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and the Medical Research Council, is conducting a major study around the attrition of rape cases through the criminal justice system in Gauteng. The purpose of the study is to better understand how rape and indecent assault cases are processed by the police and the courts. The study will also describe how the application of the rules of evidence and procedure operate in cases involving sexual assault and the factors that are associated with withdrawals, convictions and acquittals. The study will make recommendations regarding the development  of indicators for monitoring the performance of the police and courts in relation to sexual offences. Lisa Vetten is the principal investigator on the study.

Tracking Justice Project

The TLAC has worked with Human Rights Watch’s Women Rights Division to explore the impact of gender based human rights violations, including intimate partner violence and property grabbing, on women with HIV’s ability to access and adhere to ART. The research was conducted in Zambia in May 2006 and January and February 2007.The report was released on December 18, 2007 and can be viewed below:

Hidden in the Mealie Meal. Gender-Based Abuses and the treatment of HIV in Zambia Human Rights Watch December 2007. Volume 19 No 18(A)

For more information, contact Liesl Gerntholtz or go to hrw.org