V. v. Minister of Safety and Security

The appellant was assaulted, raped, and robbed by Andre Gregory Mohamed, who had escaped from prison where he was facing 22 charges for indecent assault, rape and armed robbery. The appellant sued the State for damages, arguing that the police owed her a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent Mohamed from escaping and causing her harm and that they had negligently failed to comply with such duty.  The Constitutional Court applied its recent holding in Carmichele v. Minister of Safety and Security , finding that the state is obliged both by the Constitution and by international law to protect women from violence.  Thus, the police should be held liable for their negligence in not taking reasonable action to prevent Mohamed's escape, especially in light of the fact that they knew that Mohamed was a dangerous serial rapist who was likely to commit further offenses against women should he escape. The court affirmed the state's liability for any damages suffered by the applicant.

Die appellant is aangerand, verkrag en beroof deur Andre Gregory Mohamed, wat uit die tronk ontsnap het waar hy op 22 aanklagte teregstaan ​​vir onsedelike aanranding, verkragting en gewapende roof. Die appellant het die Staat vir skadevergoeding gedagvaar, met die argument dat die polisie is aan haar 'n wettiglike verpligting skuldig om redelike stappe te neem om te verhoed dat Mohamed ontsnap en haar skade te berokken en dat hulle nalatig was en versuim het om aan hierdie plig te voldoen. Die Konstitusionele Hof het hul onlangse beslissing in Carmichele v. Minister van Veiligheid en Sekuriteit toegepas en het bevind dat die staat deur die Grondwet sowel as die internasionale reg verplig is om vroue teen geweld te beskerm, en die polisie moet aanspreeklik gehou word vir die nalatigheid daarvan deur hul nie redelike stappe te doen het  om die ontsnapping van Mohamed te voorkom nie, veral in die lig van die feit dat hulle geweet het dat Mohamed 'n gevaarlike reeksverkragter is wat waarskynlik verdere misdrywe teen vroue sou pleeg as hy sou ontsnap. Die Hof het die staat se aanspreeklikheid bevestig vir enige skade wat die applikant gely het.

Topics

• Sexual violence and rape

Geographical location

• Africa
• South Africa

Keywords

• duty to protect
• state responsibility
• state liability
• constitutional rights

Year

• 2002

External URL

• V. v. Minister of Safety and Security

Court

• Supreme Court of Appeal (Hoogste hof van Appèl)

Type

• Domestic Case Law

Jurisdiction

• South Africa