What happens when mothers and children turn to the justice system for protection and meet disbelief, delay, pathologizing, or retraumatisation instead? In this episode of Voices Of Change, Heidi Giokos speaks to Advocate Angela Jayne Bates of the High Court of South Africa about why these experiences must be understood not only as legal failures but also as human rights failures.
They unpack the everyday barriers that make access to justice feel out of reach, from transport and childcare to hostile responses at police stations and inconsistent court processes. The conversation then sharpens around a disturbing pattern. Mothers trying to protect their children can be labelled unstable, their credibility can be undermined, and the principle of the child’s best interests can fail in practice rather than guide the process. Angela also reflects on repeated systemic patterns inside the courts, the overreliance on certain expert reports, and why accountability remains so weak when decisions carry life-altering consequences.
The episode closes on reform. What would a justice system look like if it were truly built around child safety, dignity, and coordinated protection? It is a clear, careful and urgent conversation about institutional bias, legal design, and the cost of systems that ask vulnerable people to prove their pain before offering protection.
Catch up on all Voices of Change episodes here: https://www.enca.com/voices-change-podcast
