Rape can be reported up to 20 years later

Rape survivors have up to 20 years to report incidents that have happened to them.

This is according to the Legal Assistance Centre’s Yolande Engelbrecht, co-ordinator of their Gender, Research, and Advocacy Project at a gender-based violence (GBV) workshop that took place at Swakopmund over the past week.

“The statute of rape is 20 years. You can still report the act within that timeframe,” she said.

This key GBV discussion was a highlight of the workshop, a joint initiative by GIZ Namibia and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.

Members of the ministry and media practitioners came together to ensure they are able to collaborate to tackle such issues effectively and with regard to survivors.

Opening the workshop, Regain Trust head of operations Wendy Huschfieldt led with the reality that Namibia has a wide variety of international, regional and national commitments condemning GBV, and yet the nation remains in the grip of an ever-growing crisis.

“We have a problem of implementation,” she said.

Participants set out in the hope of creating an environment that will enable survivors to feel safe and empowered to come forward with their stories.

Media practitioners discussed methods through which their reporting can raise awareness.

The workshop ran from 12 to 15 May and discussed issues surrounding gender, the legal frameworks surrounding GBV, collaboration between stakeholders, as well as media advocacy and awareness.

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