The latest crime statistics paint a troubling picture of violence inside homes across the country. The fourth quarter crime statistics for the 2025/2026 financial year, released on Friday (22/5), revealed half of all reported rapes during the quarter occurred in domestic settings.  

Of the 9,782 rapes recorded between January and March, 4,620 took place at home. More than 1,500 murders during the same period were also committed in homes. The Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa) expressed deep concern over the figures, saying they highlight the ongoing vulnerability of women and children in domestic environments.

Child Protection Week

Misa CEO Martlé Keyter said the statistics underscore the importance of the upcoming Child Protection Week awareness campaign, which runs from 29 May to 5 June under the theme Working Together to End Violence against Children.

“Despite every citizen’s obligation to report domestic violence, the statistics show that women remain most at risk in places where they should feel safest,” said Keyter.

Many communities are still unaware of the Domestic Violence Amendment Act, which criminalises exposing children to domestic violence, she added.

 “Research shows lasting effects: girls often become victims, while boys risk becoming perpetrators. We must educate our communities and especially our children.”

Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia cautioned quarrels, alcohol abuse, toxic masculinity, and the normalisation of violence continue to fuel violent crime in the country.

According to the statistics, more than 7,200 violent incidents recorded during the quarter were linked to alcohol abuse.

A United Nations report referenced by Misa highlighted the severity of the crisis. South Africa’s femicide rate is reportedly five times higher than the global average, with more than half of murdered women killed by intimate partners or men known to them.

“Every life lost to gender based violence is a tragedy that shatters families, traumatises communities, and impacts workplaces. Women and children should not have to fear those they trust most,“ said Keyter.

Law enforcement alone cannot solve the crisis, and calls for urgent and coordinated action across society. “Protecting women and children must be a national priority.

“We need stronger accountability, stronger protection systems, and a cultural shift that rejects violence in all its forms. Safety is a constitutional right, yet too many South Africans live in fear in their own homes.”

During Freedom Day celebration last year in April, the Free State Health MEC, Monyatso Mahlatsi emphasised freedom means nothing while women and children still live in fear.

He stressed the importance of training healthcare workers, especially in rural clinics and hospitals, to handle GBVF cases with sensitivity and care, stressing that in many rural areas, GBVF has sadly been normalised.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg

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