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The Honourable Judge Steenkamp,
MEC for Safety and Liaison, Ms Connie Seoposengwe,
Senior members of the SAPS,
Representative of the Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation, Ms Corné Booyens,
Distinguished Guests.
Ladies and Gentlemen

The reason why we are gathered here today is to unveil the newly upgraded identification room, which is a splendid example of victim empowerment.

The right of victims, the interest of the community, and the process of victim empowerment shall receive proper and dedicated attention in this province.

We are confident that these laudable efforts will make a difference in our fight against violence and abuse against women and children, in whatever small way.

This identification parade room will undoubtedly improve the plight of victims of rape and violence and ensure that the perpetrators are successfully prosecuted.

As government we have a responsibility through our joint efforts to reverse the social disintegration of our communities. The high incidence of violence against women and children, the breakdown of families, abuse of the elderly, juvenile delinquency and the high levels of crime generally are symptoms of this social disintegration.

We urge our society to take a stand against violence and abuse of women and children

During the course of 2000, the Crime Prevention Committee identified the need to make, at least certain important parts of police investigations, more victim-friendly.

The Committee subsequently embarked on the present project, which entails:
* Secured, private and victim-friendly rooms where traumatised victims can be interviewed and consulted;
* Efficient, victim-friendly identification rooms, where victims can identify suspects under safe and intimidation-free circumstances.

The target-group of the project is mainly women and children, although not exclusively.

At present, the following procedure is followed where women and children, who have become victims of rape, sexual assault, robbery, assault, etc., have to identify their attackers:

They have to identify the rapist or the culprit by walking into a room where several "suspects" would be lined up against a wall.

Confronted by these intimidating circumstances and atmosphere, they are then expected to take a close look at each "suspect", and then to identify the real culprit by approaching him and laying her hand on his shoulder.

Of course, this procedure adds to the trauma of the victim tremendously, and often results in the non-identification of the culprit, merely because the victim is too fearful, panic-stricken or intimidated.

As part of its preparatory investigation, members of the Committee visited an "upgraded" identification room in Durban, where victims are enabled to identify their attackers from behind a one-way mirror, in victim-friendly circumstances, and with the aid of closed-circuit television cameras.

It was found that the number of positive identifications rose from one out of ten to eight out of ten.

It was quite evident that the Northern Cape, statistically having the second highest incidence of rape and assault in the country, was in a dire need of such a facility.

Dames en Here,

Daar is 'n spreukwoord wat sê 'n mens moet skep as dit reën.

Ons het besef dat die Departement van Openbare Werke besig was met konstruksiewerk aan hierdie gebou. Ons het hulle genader met die versoek om terselfdertyd vir ons 'n identifikasiekamer volgens ons spesifikasies te bou.

Hulle het ingewillig, en die volgende probleem was die tegniese toerusting, dit wil sê video kameras, mikrofone, kommunikasiesisteme, 'n monitor, ens.

Hiervoor het ons die Carl en Emily Fuchs Foundation genader. Hulle het aan ons die bedrag van R55,000-00 beskikbaar gestel waarmee ons al die nodige tegniese toerusting kon aankoop.

Die gevolg is dat ons vandag een van die modernste uitkenningskamers in die land kan open.

Maar, dames en here, ons gaan nie hier stop nie. Ons beplan nog vyf sulke uitkenningskamers in die res van ons provinsie, naamlik op De Aar, Upington, Springbok, Postmasburg en Calvinia.

Op Upington het ons reeds die uitkenningskamer gebou by die nuwe polisiestasie. Ons kort nog net die tegniese toerusting.

Miskien sal die Fuchs Foundation weer hulle hand diep in die sak steek om ook vir ons op Upington te help!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are proud of this facility, which we have created for the victims of crime. We foresee, inter alia, the following measurable outcomes of this project:

* Well-equipped centres in the Northern Cape where traumatised victims of crime can be interviewed, and identify their attackers in a secure and witness friendly environment;
* Less traumatised victims, especially women and children;
* Improved rate of positive identifications of suspects, contributing to the institution of more prosecutions;
* More reliable identification process by means of the video cameras, resulting in a higher conviction-rate;
* More speedy conclusion of trials, with less trauma for victims, because of the use of video technology to prove the identification of the accused by the victim;
* Greater confidence in the administration of justice and the judicial system by the community;

The improved success rate in the prosecution of these crimes will certainly act as a deterrent to perpetrators.

Dames en Here,

Ons moet die provinsie van die Noord-Kaap vir die misdadiger maak soos vir 'n kat wat jy op 'n warm plaat neersit - hy moet nie weet waar om te spring nie, dan brand hy sy voete.

Dit is 'n lang pad wat voorlê, maar die reis van 'n duisend myl begin met een tree - en ons het al baie treë gevorder in die Noord-Kaap!

Ek dank u.

Issued by Office of the Premier, Northern Cape

1 November 2001