No justice for abused kids

Only 4% of over 5 000 cases result in guilty verdicts, study finds.

- Masoka Dube

Only 4% of child sexual and physical abuse cases reported in the past five years resulted in convictions, according to a report released by the Teddy Bear Foundation (TBF) this week.

The study by TBF, an organisation that provides support to child abuse victims and their families, focused on 5 385 cases from 2019 to 2024.

Yesterday, Teddy Bear Foundation clinical director Shaheda Omar, said the data from the foundation's court preparation programme, which supports victims through the criminal justice process, indicated that urgent structural change was needed to effectively protect and support abused children.

"This shocking new report has brought into focus the alarmingly low conviction rates of child abuse cases in South Africa.

"The current criminal justice system is failing our children.

"The findings show that children in South Africa are far from receiving the justice they deserve," said Omar.

"The conviction rates in child abuse cases remain alarmingly low.

"We see countless children who bravely come forward, only to have their cases languish or collapse due to systemic barriers," she said.