You make your escape, but now what?

1 December 2022

 Around 17:00 on 18 November 2018, Nicoleen Swart knew she had to escape from the beatings of her husband, Jaco, or else he might kill her.

“It was a few days of more frequent daily assaults leading up to that moment. He was very enraged and tried to get me into his office at the dealership in Pretoria.

“He did not care if our two sons or people walking/driving pass, saw him beating me. I was already badly beaten and was convinced that he was going to kill me. Terrified I jumped into my car and drove off to the Sinoville Police Station a few blocks away. He kept on phoning me, but I did not take his calls.”

Nicoleen remembers her relief when she saw the police station.

“I got out of my car and went into the charge office to open a case. I was frantic. I drove off and left my sons behind. I was afraid he might hurt them. The police took me back to the dealership to fetch them, but Jaco fled, taking them with.”

Nicoleen had to do an affidavit to open a case of assault and was taken to hospital to complete a J88, a medical evidence recording document that may be needed in order to obtain a conviction in an assault case.

The police took Nicoleen to a guesthouse where she slept safe for the night. She had nothing with her.

“The next morning, the police arrested my husband and I was reunited with my sons. It was such a relief.

“I had to go to the Pretoria North Magistrate Court to obtain a protection order against him. I remember how embarrassed I felt when I walked into the court building with my sunglasses on and my bruised body. It was so humiliating.

“I sat at the Court the whole day, waiting for the interim interdict. The order stated that Jaco was not allowed to come near our home, the dealership where I worked for him or our sons. He was also not allowed to contact me in any manner or to ask anyone else to contact me on his behalf.

“Afterwards I had to drive to the Eersterust Police Station where he was held, to serve the interdict on him.”

Jaco ignored the protection order after his release on bail and continued to send Nicoleen messages begging her to withdraw the charges.

“He said only I can save him. He tried to assure me that he will change because he only wanted the very best for me.”

On 30 November 2018, Jaco broke into their home in a security estate and broke down her bedroom door where she was sleeping with her sons. She immediately phoned the police. Before the police could get to her, he was gone.

After this incident she went to the Sinoville Crisis Centre, a victim empowerment centre that provides a 24/7 free counselling service to victims.

Her final interdict against her husband was granted in April 2019. Only then could she move to her mother in Durban, with her sons, to start a new life.

#MISACARES #MISAONTHEMOVE #MISAFAMILY #GBV #SpeakUp #NicoleenSwart