| THE INSTITUTE

In the previous issue of the SA Crime Quarterly, Antony Altbeker argued that the country’s decision after 1994 to `place the prevention of crime at the centre of the strategic vision for the criminal justice system` undermined the building of an effective criminal justice system and may have led to the country`s high crime levels. In response to Altbeker`s article which is based on his new book `A country at war with itself. South Africa`s crisis of crime` (published by Jonathan Ball), Eric Pelser`s article explains why his arguments leave one both disappointed and despairing. Chandre Gould suggests that a law enforcement approach may not be the most appropriate way to counter the problem of human trafficking in the sex work industry in Cape Town, Lillian Artz and Dee Smythe make sense of the new Sexual Offences Bill that introduces a number of legal reforms intended to improve the handling of sexual offences cases, while Lisa Vetten`s article briefly sets out some of the Bill`s content and then examines whether or not the Bill, in its current form, does indeed meet the high aims set for itself.

Stefanie Roehrs reviews the feasibility of compulsory HIV testing for alleged sexual offenders, arguing the overwhelming burden on the police, who have neither the resources nor the training to provide such services. Finally Nicole Fick examines the new clause in the Sexual Offences Bill that will criminalise the clients of sex workers, with the specific intent to protect women and
children from exploitation, however raising the point that sex workers will be most affected because they will now have to protect the clients who are their only source of income.