Zimbabwe: Poverty fuels sexual abuse – perceptions of sexual and gender based violence report

Medicines Sans Frontiers and the University of Zimbabwe recently released a baseline study on the Perceptions of sexual and gender-based violence in Mbare, Harare’s oldest high-density suburb that revealed that the judiciary system allows perpetrators to escape retribution.

According to the report, many survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) end up withdrawing their cases from courts, opting for out-of-court settlement because of the postponement of most cases.

It added that there is a need to monitor the judicial system closely and eradicate corruption within the police.

The report recommended that the courts, both civil and criminal, should be further decentralised to various provinces and districts to ensure that more cases are tried and perpetrators are brought to justice.

Source: The Standard