Capt. Johan van Dyk said during a Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa) webinar the stigma men face in society about being victims of gender-based violence is so bad, while preparing for the session he couldn’t find any statistics for the last six month.

“Women can be abusers, too, including physical, verbal, emotional or financial abuse. Neither the Constitution, Harassment Act nor the Domestic Violence Act refers to the sex of the abuser,” said Van Dyk.

He discovered that males were more preventative. In almost 300 instances, men willingly turned in their guns to the 36 police stations in Tshwane for safekeeping.

‘Awareness should be raised that men can be victims too’

Misa is showing the film It ends with us to a limited audience around the country to demonstrate the union’s theme this year, which is gender-based violence ends with us.

It’s also hosting a webinar series on gender-based violence topics as part of its annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence and Femicide campaign.

Van Dyk said although he does not take away from the severity of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa towards women and children, awareness should be raised that men can be victims too.

No help for men

“But the reality is if a man needs a safe house for him and his children, there aren’t any. The system doesn’t cater for a father that might need to flee his home with his children in the middle of the night.”

Once, when police officers laughed at a man who wanted to lay a charge because his wife had slapped him, Van Dyk had to intervene.

Embarrassing 

“It is already a big embarrassment for a man to come forward,” he said. A female abuser often obtains an interim protection order against the man.

“The fact that he is the one being abused will only come to the attention of the court once forced to play voice recordings and videos of the threatening behaviour of the abusive wife.”

OFM News/Casey-Lee Anthony