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Urgent Call for Reform as Only 4% of Child Abuse Reports End in Convictions in South Africa

Published November 20, 2024
3 months ago

In a shocking revelation this week, the Teddy Bear Foundation (TBF) reported that only 4% of child abuse cases in South Africa result in convictions. The TBF, a stalwart in the support of child abuse victims since its inception, analyzed 5,385 cases between 2019 and 2024. Shaheda Omar, the clinical director at the foundation, highlights a dire need for crucial reforms within the legal system to better protect the nation's children.





The foundation's report, titled "The Court Outcomes of Children Attending Teddy Bear Foundation’s Court Preparation Programme," not only exposes the chronic underperformance of the current system but also identifies systemic barriers preventing effective prosecution of such sensitive cases. Omar points out that of the reviewed cases, 21% involved physical abuse and 46% involved sexual assault, with a startling 84% remaining unresolved.


Contributing to the dismal rate of unresolved cases are factors such as insufficient evidence or witnesses withdrawing, issues which often stem from the traumatic nature of the judicial process itself. Omar advises that one way to combat these issues is by introducing specialized legal training for professionals who handle these cases to ensure they possess requisite sensitivity and expertise.


Furthermore, Omar suggests bolstering forensic capabilities and streamlining legal processes to minimize backlogs and accelerate case resolutions. These measures, she hopes, will lead to an increase in conviction rates and significantly reduce the trauma experienced by young victims.


The heart-wrenching stories of affected families underline the grim statistics. In Brits, North West, a mother expresses her anxiety over a six-year long case involving the abuse of her children by a school gardener. Her ordeal is compounded by frequent court postponements and the presence of the accused in their community. Similarly, in Bethal, Mpumalanga, a disturbing dismissal by police over a report of statutory rape reflects systemic issues in recognizing and adequately addressing child abuse allegations.


Advocacy for change is loud, with both private foundations and public entities being urged to adapt and improve. Childline’s Dr. Benita Nel emphasizes the hardship in cases where the accused are family members or friends, often leading to non-cooperation from witnesses which inevitably results in case withdrawals.


Critically, the report by Teddy Bear Foundation serves as a potent reminder of the vulnerabilities within South Africa’s legal fabric. It calls for a collective push towards a reformed judicial system that ensures each victim receives the justice they truly deserve.


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