Crime stats: Slight drop in reported sexual offences
The latest crime statistics show a slight decrease in the number of reported sexual offences between October and December.
According to Police Minister Bheki Cele, 12,211 sexual cases were reported, which is a 1.7% decrease compared to the same period in 2022.
Cele released the third quarter crime statistics on Friday morning.
"The fight against GBVF crimes remains a priority for our men and women in blue, and that is why we are encouraged to report that all our sexual offences crimes including rape, sexual assault and contact sexual offences, all registered an overall 1.7% decline during this period,” Cele said.
“Rape declined by 1.7 %, and six provinces, including Gauteng, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape, and Western Cape, all registered a decline in this crime category.
“More than 2,400 suspect raids led to 4,264 suspects being arrested for GBVF-related crimes such as rape and sexual assault. What is encouraging is that more awareness programmes are being conducted by our social crime prevention and Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units (FCS), which translates to an increase in the reporting of these crimes.”
The minister said 112 life sentences were handed down to 89 rapists and GBVF perpetrators in the past three months.
"Sixty-four rapists and GBVF perpetrators were each handed down 20 years and above imprisonment sentence. One-hundred-and-seventy-two rapists and GBVF perpetrators were handed 10 to 19 years imprisonment.”
Inanda in KZN, which has always been known as the rape capital of the country, has also seen a slight reduction in the number of rape cases by registering twenty counts lower than the same period under review.
"This goes to show that our FCS teams are proving to be acting decisively against those who are perpetrating rape crimes,” Cele said.
“What is still worrying and of great concern is that the majority of the rapes were committed at victims’ residences. The perpetrators were either neighbours, friends or family members.”
"Just this week, the Limpopo police apprehended a serial rapist. Manyike Monyuku has been linked to twelves rape cases".
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