CRIME STATS | Crimes against women rise, many rapes happened in schools

Police present crime statistics for the period between April and June

30 August 2024 - 15:25
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Maj-Gen Thulare Sekhukhune presented the crime stats for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year with minister Senzo Mchunu and national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola on Friday.
Maj-Gen Thulare Sekhukhune presented the crime stats for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year with minister Senzo Mchunu and national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola on Friday.
Image: SAPS

Crimes against women increased between April and June this year, with the chances of women being raped more likely in the Eastern Cape, Free State and North West, while most rapes in educational facilities happened in schools. 

Police minister Senzo Mchunu, national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and other senior SAPS officers presented the crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year on Friday.

Rape cases increased by 0.6%, with 57 more offences reported between April and June, from 9,252 in the same period last year to 9,309.

The statistics showed rape cases decreased by 101 in April but increased by 138 and 20 in May and June respectively.

The provinces that contributed most were:

  • Gauteng, which increased by 11 cases to 1,921;
  • KwaZulu-Natal, with 1,895 cases after a 0.9% increase of 16; and
  • the Eastern Cape, with 1,466 cases despite a decrease of eight cases.

However, looking at incidents of rape per 100,000 people, the Eastern Cape recorded 22.1, followed by 20.7 for the Free State and 16.3 in the North West.

Despite this, the Western Cape had the largest increase of reported rape cases in the quarter, with 35 more from 1,002 to 1,037, followed by Mpumalanga with 32 more from 614 to 646 and the Free State recording 17 more rape cases from 596 to 613.

Most reported rapes happened in the residences of perpetrators, said Maj-Gen Thulare Sekhukhune, who presented the statistics.

“We did a sample of 7,165 and it indicated 4,265 of the rapes happened in the residence of the perpetrator, the second is in a public place [with] 1,766 reported and we also had 91 rapes taking place in educational institutions.”

KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape had the highest reported cases of rape at educational facilities, with 17, 15 and 13 respectively

Educational facilities included schools, universities, colleges and day-care facilities.

Of the 91 rapes, 74 happened in schools.

KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Cape had the highest reported cases of rape at educational facilities, with 17, 15 and 13 respectively.

“We send our children to school to learn and we expect such environments are safe and conducive for learning; 91 incidents of rape were reported as having taken place at an educational institution, while 12 murders were reported,” Mchunu said.

While many of the 17 community crimes showed a decrease in the three months, crimes such as murder, attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) increased against women and children.

Murders of women increased by 71 cases compared with the same period last year, accounting for a 7.9% increase. Attempted murder of women increased by 16% with 227 more counts, while assault GBH saw a spike of 885 cases, a 6.9% increase.

“We recorded an increase in murders of women, meaning 966 were killed in the quarter compared with the previous quarter when 895 women were killed. Attempted murder of women ... the numbers were 1,644. Assault GBH increased to  13,757 compared with 12,872.”

TimesLIVE


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