Cele calls on cops to focus on GBV over festive season

Cele visited Thohoyandou in Limpopo on Monday as part of the safer festive season inspection tour.

The area recorded the second-highest number of rapes in the country during July and September 2021.

Cele said police in Thohoyandou and around the country should prioritise assisting gender-based violence survivors and ensure the arrest of perpetrators.

“There is one person who's got nine rape cases, the other one has about fifteen rape cases, which means when police begin to arrest those people, the rape will go down because it looks like there are few people repeating the same crime rather than everybody doing the crime.

“So, it is important to investigate those cases that have been opened but also to open and invite people to come and raise those cases that they don’t believe we're not done properly.”

He said it is concerning that some police subject victims to substandard treatment.

“I know there are many officers who go beyond the call of duty every day to help GBV victims. However, it is deeply disturbing that some chose to disgrace the service and subject victims to substandard treatment at police stations and in some instances even turn people away.

“Yes, many of the rapes are happening in places where police cannot reach, such as private homes. But when victims open up cases and turn to you for help, you as law enforcers must assist them with utmost compassion and professionalism, no matter what. We expect this kind of service in all our police stations and those officers who fail to meet this instruction, must be reported and shown the door.”

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