The court for sexual offences: perceptions of the perpetrators of sexual offences

This article explores the largely hereunto-ignored perceptions of the offenders within the specialist sex-courts in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. Various factors potentially affecting such perceptions within this group of individuals are identified by way of theoretical orientation. Respondents were inclined to view the Court for Sexual Offences as biased in process and excessively punitive with regard to sentencing. The specialist sex-court was also perceived to be inefficient and slow. Female prosecutors were judged to be overly involved in cases to the extent that their objectivity was impaired. The need for additional research in various related areas is also explored.