SOCA
Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit

The SOCA Unit was established in October 1999 with the main objective of eradicating all forms of gender-based violence against women and children. Since its establishment the Unit has made an extremely valuable contribution in this regard.

Mandate

To establish an efficient and effective Unit which strives to reduce the victimization of women and children by:

• Enhancing the capacity to prosecute sexual offences and domestic violence cases;
• Reducing secondary victimization of complainants and raising public awareness of the scourge of sexual offences and domestic violence;
• Ensure the proper management of young offenders.

Vision

Justice and security for women and children by protecting their dignity and freedom from violence and abuse.

Mission

A specialist Unit within the National Prosecuting Authority, which contributes to the combating of sexual offences against women and children by advocating and implementing measures, which prevent and react to gender based violence and which minimize secondary victimization.

Slogan

‘Putting the rights of women and children first.’

The SOCA Unit comprises of four sections, namely

• The Sexual Offences Section;
• The Domestic Violence Section;
• The Maintenance Section; and
• The Child Justice Section.

Sexual Offences Section

The objectives of the Sexual Offences Section are briefly:

• To improve the conviction rate of sexual offences cases;
• To reduce secondary victimization within the criminal justice system by establishing multi-disciplinary care centers and adopting a victim-centred approach;
• Skills development of all role players in the multi-disciplinary prosecution of sexual offences;
• Reducing the cycle period for the finalisation of cases.