Highest number of murders by children in EC, latest crime stats show
The Eastern Cape recorded the highest number of murders committed by minors during the past financial year.
The police’s head of crime research and statistics Norman Sekhukhune revealed the Eastern Cape had the highest number of murders committed by children at 231, followed by the Western Cape at 170.
In total about 21 022 murders where committed nationally in the 2018/19 financial year with 60 % of all murders taking place over weekends.
Sekhukhune said the perception exists that that the killing of children are committed by adults only.
“Whereas in some instance it is the very same children killing their peers.”
ALSO READ: Murder, sexual offences on the rise
Some 736 murders were committed by children, Sekhuhkune revealed.
“Which might not exclude the reasons that these might be gang-related murders.”
He did however admit that the police was not able to establish whether these murders were in fact due to gang related violence.
He added that while the murders committed by minors is nothing new, it aims to highlight other contributing factors to the reasons why the number of murders had increased by 3.4%.
Listen below: