GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - The crime statistics for the second quarter of 2021 (July to September), which were announced by the South African Police Services on Friday 19 November, paint a grim picture for victims of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa.
A total of 9 956 rape cases were reported for the three-month period. Year-to-date, 65 335 rape cases were reported countrywide - a shocking 7 260 per month.
11 824 cases of assault on women were reported from July to September. Attempted murder cases amount to 1 155 and 897 women were murdered.
Another disturbing figure is the number of children who were murdered during this period, a total of 287 - that is three children daily.
In the George area, 89 cases of sexual assault were reported by the four police stations in the area (George, Pacaltsdorp, Conville and Thembalethu) between July and September this year. Equalling last year, 62 of these were rape cases. Of these reported cases, 21 took place in Thembalethu, 18 in Pacaltsdorp, 14 in George and nine in Conville.
The murder rate has not changed much compared to the same time frame last year, with 16 reported murders in the George area compared to last year's 17. Most of these cases (11) were reported in Thembalethu, five in George, one in Conville and Pacaltsdorp none.
Thembalethu had the highest number of robberies at residential premises in this quarter, with 10 compared to two last year. Four each were reported in George and Conville and only one in Pacaltsdorp.
George saw quite a spike in cases of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with 36 reported cases at the George station, 50 in Pacaltsdorp, 65 in Thembalethu and 60 in Conville. In the same time frame last year, 197 cases were reported in total between the four stations compared to this year's 211.
For detailed crime statistics, click here.
DNA backlog still a headache
Although police have indicated a slight decrease in the backlog of DNA specimens related to sexual offence cases at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in the Western Cape, the backlog seems to be never-ending.
During the meeting of the portfolio committee on police, it was confirmed that there are still 97 664 cases backlogged. "While the DNA backlog is ongoing, rapists and murderers are being let out on bail, or cases are struck off the roll due to the lack of evidence - enabling these violent perpetrators to re-offend," said Ian Cameron, spokesperson for the civil rights organisation Action Society.
"We must remember that these numbers are not just statistics. These are victims of violent crime who were not protected. Someone's mother, sister, child. Action Society believes that ANC cadre deployment is the biggest downfall of the South African Police Department.
The public and civil society needs to hold government accountable for this failure. The pandemic of GBVF in our country has become a human rights violation."
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