While the SAPS seems to be making some strides in their fight against crime in the country, concerns about Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remain from various quarters.
Earlier, Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, revealed that the murder rate has dropped by 5.8%, while sexual offences went down by 2.5%, and rape decreased by 3.1% during the second quarter of this year.
GBV stats’ breakdown
Non-profit organisation, the Tears Foundation, says the reported decrease in rape and sexual assault cases is encouraging on the surface, but these figures must be approached with caution.
The foundation’s Kavya Swaminathan says while these stats might indicate some progress on the policing interventions, it is equally possible that they indicate a decrease in reporting than a genuine decline in incidents.
Male dominated non-profit organisation, #NotInMyNameInternational, has also weighed in, saying the 3.1% decrease in rape cases is a notable development.
“This decline reinforces our organisation’s long-held position that gender-based violence, including rape and sexual assault, is a criminal matter that demands effective response from the police cluster towards prevention and holding perpetrators accountable,” the organisation says.
The civil rights movement says the correlation between the decrease in serious crimes and the corresponding decline in gender-based violence is telling.
“It underscores the fact that perpetrators of violence against women and children are, indeed, criminals who must be held accountable for their actions through might of the law.”
This year, the quarterly crime stats were announced as the world officially kicked off the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, which will run until the 10th of next month.
This United Nations initiative is aimed at raising awareness and combating violence against women and children.
Amnesty International South Africa says more needs to be done to deal with the scourge.
The call comes amid a damning recent Human Sciences Research Council’s study, which found that over seven million women in SA have experienced physical violence at the hands of men, with more than two million of them having survived sexual abuse.
https://hsrc.ac.za/media-pack-first-south-african-national-gender-based-violence-study-2022/
Amnesty International South Africa Executive Director, Shenilla Mohamed, says it’s concerning that some people still don’t understand the gravity of GBV.
Written by: Nokwazi Qumbisa
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