10k rapes, 7000 murders recorded between July and Sept - Cele
More than 10 000 rape cases were reported at various South African police stations between July and September this year.
This is according to Police Minister Bheki Cele, who on Wednesday released the crime statistics for the second quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year.
The latest statistics reflect crimes that were reported to the police from the 1st of July to the 30th of September 2022.
Cele said the rate at which women are abused, violated and killed in South Africa remains worrying and unacceptable.
The latest crime stats came as the country is edging closer to commemorating the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which will be launched on Friday.
"The reality is women continue to be victims of violent crimes in South Africa. In the three months of reporting, a double-digit percentage increase was recorded for murder, attempted murder and assault GBH against women," says Cele.
"Over 13 000 women were victims of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm between July and September 2022, 1 277 women were victims of attempted murder, and 989 women were murdered during this reporting period.
“Over 10 000 rape cases were opened with the SAPS, between July and September this year," he said.
The minister says Mpumalanga is the only province to report a decrease in rapes.
"Inanda police station in KwaZulu-Natal, Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and Delft in the Western Cape are the three top stations with the highest rape cases. Buses, taxis, trains and other modes of public transport, were the third most likely places of occurrence for rape incidents."
The stats also show that 7 004 people were killed in the second quarter of the year.
"This is an increase of 841 more people murdered, compared to the same period in 2021, when the country was placed under COVID-19 Lockdown four, three and two. Arguments, misunderstandings and incidents of road rage and provocations accounted for 956 murders in the country.
“Vigilantism incidents claimed the lives of 528 people while 362 people were killed during the commission of a robbery.
“Inanda, uMlazi police stations in KwaZulu-Natal and Nyanga station in the Western Cape registered the highest counts of murder during this period. A total of 274 counts of murder were reported in those three areas combined.”
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