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.
Denne historien er fra November 20, 2024-utgaven av The Citizen.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 20, 2024-utgaven av The Citizen.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Why buying vacant land in an estate is a good investment
Investing in a coastal estate is beneficial for everyone from first-time buyers to families and retirees, but the big debate is often between buying a home or buying land and building oneself.
A rising star in clean living
Soweto-based entrepreneur and author of the book #I am a housekeeper, Mbali Nhlapo, widely known as the founder of Sisters @ Work and a viral TikTok sensation, has become a household name in South African homes.
Notre Dame gets love
Americans open their hearts and wallets
Heart-stopping vistas of Cape Town
Table Mountain is the lodestar
K-culture doing OK in Sunshine Land
Fans flock to sites associated with boy band
Hello? Calling my owner?
Lost, but nearly always found-even your pet
Proteas tighten grip
DOMINANT: STUBBS, BAVUMA TONS BAT SRI LANKA RIGHT OUT OF THE GAME
Sirino looks ready to go
Gaston Sirino (above) could return for Kaizer Chiefs in their Betway Premiership clash with Royal AM today at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Inexperience becoming a tired excuse
There will always be reasons that teams are defeated, but there is one particular excuse that has become too easy for our national cricket teams to lean on when they lose.
Cricket-mad Vaibhav's dream becomes reality
Dreams have come early for cricket-mad Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the shy schoolboy aged 13 who is the youngest player in Indian Premier League history.
