Hitting home — how a motorist panic button is a lifeline for GBV victims
Automobile Association control-room records reveal women escaping domestic violence, armed responders filling police delays and an urgent need for transparent gender-based violence (GBV) response times.
The Automobile Association of South Africa's emergency response service received 88 panic alerts related to gender-based or sexual violence between July 14 and October 1. Sixty-one of these alerts were tagged as domestic abuse, 14 as gender-based violence, 12 as rape, four as sexual offences, and one as stalking. Some alerts carried multiple tags. In addition to these alerts, the service handled approximately 107 domestic disputes during the same period.
On September 26, a woman who pressed a panic button claimed to be fine but later revealed her partner had assaulted her. An AA response officer drove her to the police station after hearing her situation.
In another incident, a woman's husband, intoxicated, attempted to break into her home. Armed response personnel arrived three minutes later, and the controller approved the officer jumping the wall to assist her, ensuring no time was lost.
A controller stayed on the line with a woman being held in a man's room, refusing to open the door and threatening to sue. The controller sent a second team, and an officer helped her escape, waiting with her until her Uber arrived.
Some alerts were about violence at home, but many involved women fleeing dangerous situations. Calls to the control room often spanned hours before police and ambulances arrived. The Automobile Association proposes that the South African Police Service (SAPS) publish quarterly response times for gender-based violence incidents. This transparency could help identify areas needing improvement.
Freedom of movement is crucial; for women in danger, being able to leave their homes quickly and knowing help is on the way is essential.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
