Although the SAPS (South African Police Service) provides figures for some of the sexual offences occurring each year, workplaces and educational institutions are not compelled to report on their internal disciplinary proceedings.
Rape Homicide: Rape at it's most lethal culminates in murder. The prevalence of sexual assault in murdered females under the age of 18 is as high as 25% (as opposed to 1,5% of males).
Rape: An analysis of 2 068 rape cases reported in Gauteng during 2003 showed that females under the age of 12 are especially likely to be raped by someone known to them. 84% of perpetrators where either relatives, friends or neighbors.
Almost one in five (18.8%) woman report being raped by a current or former intimate male partner.
-S Mathews et al, The epidemiology of child homicides in South Africa, Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 91, 2013, 562–568.
Rape and the law
Myths and stereotypes surrounding rape and rape victims help to complicate law and policy implementation and may considerably worsen the plight of victims of sexual offences.
Often, the harm resulting from an incident of rape or sexual assault may be down played, with victims carrying the burden of blame for the occurrence of such events. Consequently, society may be unsympathetic, disbelieving and in general may have an inappropriate response to victims. This may also be seen through out the stages of the criminal justice process. A survey carried out at 31 health facilities catering for rape victims around South Africa showed that one in three health practitioners (32,6%) do not consider rape to be a serious medical condition.
Such factors contribute to the low conviction rate for rape in South Africa. A recent Gauteng study investigating the progression of rape cases from reporting to sentencing explains that of the 2 068 dockets opened, half resulted in arrests (50.5%) but only 42.8% of the alleged offenders were charged in court. There was a total conviction rate of 6.2% and as some of the convictions where for lesser charges, only 4.1% of cases reported as rape resulted in convictions for rape. (Those convicted of rape may stand to receive the minimum sentences mandated by law including a mandated 10 years minimum sentence or the possibility of life imprisonment, but such sentencing is seldom carried out.)
-Vetten, R Jewkes, R Fuller, N Christofides, L Loots and O Dunseith, Tracking Justice: The attrition of rape cases through the criminal justice system in Gauteng, Johannesburg: Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, South African Medical Research Council and the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2008.
As a result, an overwhelming majority of sexual offenders are never held to account for their actions.
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