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According to the first chapter of this monograph South Africas government is committed to eliminating violence against women but it will require legal reform police and prosecutors training enhanced interagency cooperation improved data and support from nongovernmental organizations. The reform effort may require considerable resources. Human Rights Watch urges the government to ratify the CEDAW convention and to reform domestic laws. Gender class and race bias needs to be eliminated in domestic abuse cases. The background discussion in chapter 2 focuses on the recent movement among womens groups to inform the general public about domestic violence and on the role of poverty and the police in perpetuating violence. Several cases are cited where police tortured assaulted or sexually abused women in custody or women who had information about an accused partner or relative. Under the new police force of about 2.5 per 1000 population troubled areas are still neglected. Chapter 3 discusses the position of women under two legal systems. One is civil law based on Roman-Dutch laws and the other is customary law which is applied to African women. South African law still discriminates against African women married under customary law. Full legal status is accorded only to women married in accordance with the provisions of the 1961 Marriage Act. Chapter 4 focuses on the governments obligations under international law. The police and the judicial system treat complaints by battered women differently from other assaults. The criminal law does not recognize wife beating or partner abuse. A 1993 law provides for a warning and an expensive interdiction. In practice the police are ignorant of the law. Chapters 5 and 6 identify the extent of the problem and state responses. Chapter 7 focuses on rape and sexual assault. Chapters 8 and 9 provide illustrations of improved practice in dealing with rape and domestic violence.
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