NATIONAL NEWS - With the country commemorating Women’s Month, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has highlighted progress made in protecting women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
Over the past year, the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit has made significant inroads in tackling gender-based violence (GBV) and related crimes.
Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March, the unit secured 2 941 convictions and arrested 22 219 suspects for GBV, femicide, sexual offences and crimes against children.
This as there are 176 FCS units countrywide, supported by Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) units at both national and provincial levels.
These specialised teams focus on four primary categories of FCS-related crimes:
- Sexual crimes (rape, incest, sexual assault)
- Person-directed crimes (assault, assault grievous bodily harm, murder)
- Illegal removal of persons (kidnapping, abduction, missing children)
- Electronic media-facilitated crimes (child sexual abuse material, non-consensual sharing of intimate content)
Forensic Social Workers (FSWs) also play a critical role within the FCS environment. They assist investigators by conducting age-appropriate forensic interviews with child victims, assisting courts to make fair and informed decisions.
Leading this critical unit is Major General Mmantsheke Lekhele, a seasoned senior female detective who brings invaluable expertise to the fight against these crimes.
In a statement on Monday, the SAPS said 604 offenders were sentenced to life imprisonment, 350 offenders were sentenced to 20 years or more, 735 offenders were sentenced to 10–19 years and 1391 offenders were sentenced to 1-9 years between April 2024 and 31 March.
“During this same period, 22 219 suspects who committed FCS related crimes were arrested. Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal registered the most arrests,” said the police.
The Western Cape had 4 727 arrests, Gauteng 4 278 and KwaZulu-Natal 3 802.
The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, praised the dedicated men and women in blue for their tireless efforts in protecting society’s most vulnerable.
“Through resilience, unwavering dedication, and high-quality investigations, our men and women in blue continue to ensure that sexual offenders are brought to justice and removed from society. Every conviction brings us one step closer to a safer South Africa for all women and girl children,” said General Masemola.
South Africa marks Women’s Month annually in August wherein the country pays tribute to the 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women.
– SAnews.gov.za
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