Complainants requesting court cases to be discontinued a trend

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has said it will not accept any letters – whether notarised or not – from any complainants or legal representatives of a complainant asking for a matter to be discontinued before the courts.

The DPP’s office said the announcement follows a disturbing and unacceptable trend of complainants submitting letters for matters to be discontinued despite clear instructions to not send those letters.

“If a complainant no longer wishes to proceed, it is mandated they attend the police station and give a witness statement to that effect,” the press release said.

“The decision to discontinue proceedings rests solely with the Director of Public Prosecutions. Just because a complainant no longer wishes to proceed does not automatically mean that the matter will be discontinued,” it further said.

The DPP’s office also noted that there are several offences that are so severe that the prosecution of these matters is in the best interest of the public. Therefore, such cases will not be discontinued, even if a request to do such is received.

Those matters include domestic violence cases (including domestic violence between parents, children and siblings), murder or attempted murder, wounding or grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm, burglary, drug offences, theft, and other crimes of dishonesty (such as obtaining by deception, false accounting) and sexual assault including rape and indecent exposure.

The list also includes offences where children are victims, offences where elderly persons are victims, breach of trust or public officer offences and offences that involve proceeds of criminal conduct.