Children are the victims of almost 50% of all cases of rape in the last three years
16 May 2018
The DA can reveal that of the 124 526 rape cases reported in the last 3 financial years, children were the victims of shocking 41% of these cases. A parliamentary reply also revealed that in the same period, more than 2 600 children were murdered, which constitutes 5% of all reported murders. This also means that at least 46 children are raped every day and at least 2 children are murdered every single day in South Africa.
Only 21% of child rapes cases and only 1 in 3 murder cases resulted in successful convictions.
The horrific brutality with which these children were murdered is also frightening. Weapons used, include firearms, axes, spades, pangas, hammers, belts and poison– many of these children were practically butchered to death.
These statistics are disturbing at the very least and likely to worsen given the numerous crises within the South African Police Services (SAPS) leadership. It is clear that without political will, the police will to continue to fail in its mandate to ensure the reduction of the country’s unacceptably high levels of crime levels and safety of all South Africans, especially children.