The sexual offences prosecutor: a new specialisation?

Abstract

The South African Law Commission recognised the fact that victims of sexual violence require treatment different to that of other crime victims, and that sexual offences are more difficult to prosecute than other crimes due to the nature of the crime itself. Sexual offences courts were created and require prosecutors who have become specialised in this field. This article analyses the role of the sexual offences prosecutor in relation to child witnesses and further discusses and comments on a study conducted with sexual offences prosecutors in order to investigate the nature of this new specialisation.


Die seksuele misdaad-aanklaer: 'n nuwe spesialisasie?


Die Suid-Afrikaanse Regskommissie het bevind dat die slagoffers van seksuele geweld hantering noodsaak wat verskil van slagoffers van ander misdade, asook dat seksuele misdade moeiliker is om te vervolg as gevolg van die aard van die misdaad. Seksuele misdaad howe het ontstaan en spesialis aanklaers in hierdie veld is noodsaaklik. Hierdie artikel analiseer die rol van die seksuele misdaad-aanklaer. Laastens met betrekking tot kindergetuies word 'n studie met seksuele misdaad-aanklaers bespreek ten einde die aard van hierdie nuwe spesialisasie rigting te ondersoek.


Jnl for Juridical Sci Vol.29(1) 2004: 135-151