Abongile Allessing, a victim of gender-based violence (GBV), expressed her profound disappointment with the South African justice system after her attacker received a mere two-year sentence.
The sentencing occurred this week at the Witbank Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga, leaving Allessing, 38, of Empumelelweni, Witbank, feeling that justice had not been served.
In an interview with The Star, Allessing recounted the horrific details of her attack, allegedly perpetrated by her sister’s boyfriend, Lebogang Sechefo. She described how the assault left her unable to perform simple tasks due to her injuries.
“I can’t close a zip, I can’t close buttons, I cannot prepare water for myself to bathe because of something he intentionally did. It was not a mistake,” she said.
Allessing highlighted that the court did not consider the severity of her injuries or the fact that she was unarmed during the attack.
On August 4, at around 7pm, Allessing was attacked in her room after returning home with food. She witnessed her sister and her boyfriend fighting, and when she tried to intervene, Sechefo turned on her.
“He hit me with a Black Label beer bottle in my face, and it broke. He stabbed me repeatedly with the sharp part of the bottle,” she recalled. Despite her attempts to defend herself, she was overwhelmed by Sechefo, who used various objects, including bricks, to continue the assault until her 15-year-old nephew intervened.
Following the attack, Allessing’s family had to hire a car to take her to the hospital, as the police stated they could not transport her due to her injuries.
Initially, her case was struck off the court roll, but after The Star reported on her situation, it was reopened.
However, Allessing felt that the justice system had failed her from the beginning. “The first thing that the Vosman South African Police Service (SAPS) took down was the wrong statement,” she said.
Allessing described her frustration with the police, who she claimed were lenient with Sechefo.
“I told my Investigating Officer that Sechefo was an illegal immigrant from Lesotho with a fraudulent ID, but she failed to act on it. There were times when he had extra security while I, the victim, did not,” she stated.
She felt that the police were not only unhelpful but actively obstructive, often annoyed when she inquired about her case.
On November 13, Sechefo was finally jailed while awaiting sentencing. He was found guilty of assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm and sentenced to two years imprisonment under section 276(1)(i) of Act 51 of 1977.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, welcomed the conviction, stating that justice had been served.
However, Allessing and advocates for GBV victims were outraged by the leniency of the sentence.
Themba Masango, general secretary of Not In My Name International, expressed concern over the message this sentencing sends to perpetrators of GBV.
“Men abuse women with knowledge that the courts will give them a slap on the wrist. We are saddened by this and hope such incidents will never happen again,” he said.
Masango urged the courts to consider the severity of each case and to ensure that justice is served without bias.
The Star