MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, has urged mense to piemp the perpetrators of gender-based violence.
He was speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday after Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile released the second quarter crime statistics for the province.
Allen said cases of grievous bodily harm (GBH)/assault have increased by a worrying 23% for women and 10% for children during the reporting period.
“While I am encouraged that attempted murder during this period reduced by 28.9% for children and 21.1% for women when compared to the same period of the previous financial year, it is alarming that (GBH)/assault has increased by 23.1% (399 more cases) for women and 9.6% (31 more cases) for children during the reporting period,” he explained.
“In addition to this, five more women [4.4%] were also murdered during this period.
“Most of these crimes occur within the premises of the victim or perpetrators.
“With us being within the 16 days of activism against women and child abuse, these statistics should be a cause of deep concern to all.
“Beyond this action to stop these crimes from happening is urgently required,” Allen added.
“I urge all communities to not keep quiet about these crimes against our women and children, as that makes us complicit if we don’t speak out.
“We should make it our business to ensure our women and children are safe.”
The province recorded 36 cases of domestic violence-related murders, of which 25 victims were women, 162 cases of rape (155 women) and 1 240 cases of assault GBH.
Delft SAPS recorded the most rape cases with an increase of 14% (65 cases up from 57), followed by Harare, Kraaifontein, Mfuleni and Nyanga.
Of these rape cases, 1 022 or 62% occurred at homes.
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