By Ashley Burgin, Lindsay Henson, Kenyon Laing | LvA Staff
Ever since its founding in 2011, LvA has dreamed of opening its own community-based legal services centre. In mid-October, this dream finally came to fruition! We at LvA are proud to announce that the Diepsloot Legal Services Centre is officially open! Over thirty people joined us to celebrate the Centre’s grand opening, including representatives from the Diepsloot police and fire departments, local partner organisations and clinic members, and long-time LvA supporters.
The opening of this new Centre means that victims of gender-based violence in Diepsloot finally have a safe space to come and receive legal and psycho-social support. With private rooms for legal consults as well as individual therapy sessions, clients are now able to share their stories with LvA’s staff attorneys and psychologist in a way that better respects their dignity and privacy. A large conference room is also a welcome addition to LvA’s workspace and is already being used to facilitate larger group therapy sessions, as well as to empower young women through LvA’s on-going Sexual Violence Workshop Series (to learn more about this workshop series, check out our April 2015 Global Giving report “Finding a Voice”).
Locating the Centre just one block from the Diepsloot police station was strategically planned to best suit our clients’ needs. Previously, LvA’s office was 2.5km from the police station, requiring clients to pay for transport or spend a significant amount of time walking, often with young children, between both locations to seek assistance. Now, victims referred to LvA by the police can easily access LvA’s services. The proximity to the police station is particularly beneficial for LvA’s criminal casework, allowing staff attorneys to accompany clients to the police station to open cases of sexual violence and domestic violence. The new location also better facilitates LvA’s follow up with Investigating Officers at the police station to ensure our clients’ cases are being handled properly. Additionally, the Centre is next door to a small health clinic and a counselling centre run by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG). SADAG works with victims of sexual and domestic violence, making the site an ideal location for referrals.
The opening of LvA’s Diepsloot Legal Service Centre marks a huge milestone in the campaign to bring justice to victims of gender-based violence in South Africa. As LvA’s Head of Legal and Operations, Lindsay Henson, explained, “The extremely high prevalence of domestic and sexual violence in South Africa is a sad reality, but we at LvA refuse to simply sit back and accept it. LvA’s mission is to create a South Africa in which victims of domestic and sexual violence have access to holistic legal and psycho-social services and to an effective justice system that respects their dignity.” LvA’s new community-based Legal Service Centre is a powerful step towards the realization of that vision and towards a brighter future for South Africa.
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By Ashley Burgin | LvA Staff
By Shayda Vance & Lindsay Henson | LvA Staff
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