Mchunu: Some 1,400 rape cases dropped in past financial year
One-thousand-four-hundred-and-sixteen cases of rape were dropped during the 2023/24 financial year due to insufficient evidence.
The Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, revealed the figure in a written reply to a parliamentary question from Rise Mzansi.
Recent crime statistics revealed that sexual offences in general declined 0.4% to 11 566, but rapes rose 0.6% to 9 309, with most of them reported in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and Western Cape.
Rise Mzansi's Makashule Gana said a number of rape cases that were withdrawn due to lack of evidence is concerning, considering the prevalence of rape and gender-based violence in South Africa.
"Rise Mzansi reiterates the need for more detectives to ensure that all credible cases reach their natural conclusion, which is to see violent criminals in prison for rehabilitation. With 8,594 vacant detective posts in the South African Police Service, it means that the women and men in blue are overstretched and will, at times, miss key pieces of evidence needed to deem a case successful.
"Crime stalks every community across the country. It is therefore vital that a full complement of detectives is recruited in order to ensure that there is a full detective service that is able to ensure that heinous crimes such as rape, murder and hijacking are investigated and prosecuted.”
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