An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Victim Friendly Legal System in Zimbabwe: A Case Study of Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of the victim friendly legal system in Zimbabwe: A case study of Harare Metropolitan Province. The study focused on the victim friendly legal system in Zimbabwe since its inception in 1997, targeting the protection of child victims of sexual abuse from further traumatisation in the criminal justice system. The study was conducted at the Harare Magistrates Courts which are located at the Rotten Row Building on the western side of Harare. The research methodology that was used to conduct the study was qualitative in nature. The research method used was a case study within the interpretive paradigm. The purposive sample used in this study consisted of seventeen (17) participants who were selected from the regional magistrates, regional public prosecutors, victim friendly unit police officers, and intermediaries who held different positions in the victim friendly legal system in Zimbabwe. Data generation was done using the in-depth face to face interview, observations and analysis of relevant documents to the study.  The research findings from this study were presented in the form of themes that emerged. These themes were then divided into two categories, that is, themes concerning the positive aspects of the effectiveness of the victim friendly legal system in Zimbabwe and those concerning the negative aspects of its effectiveness. Themes that emerged were: the need to capacitate the victim friendly legal system staff members; recognition for professional counselling services need to child victims of sexual abuse; the need to embark on community awareness campaigns on the role of victim friendly (court) legal system procedures; establishment of one stop shop infrastructure development in the victim friendly legal system in Zimbabwe; inadequate victim friendly court equipment; challenges on the current policy and institutional arrangements of the victim friendly legal system in Zimbabwe; problems of safer houses; and interference by family members in trying to influence the victim in court. Recommendations from this research were on policy makers in government to come up with legislation that effectively complement the efforts by victim friendly legal system in protecting child victims of sexual abuse from further traumatisation; the need to establish a one stop shop infrastructure in the victim friendly legal system and provision of transport, meals and accommodation to victims and vulnerable witnesses when they attend court sessions.