A Gauteng High Court judgment has affirmed the state’s responsibility to ensure that South Africa’s National Child Protection Register is properly maintained and effectively protects children. The ruling was in favour of the Teddy Bear Foundation and SECTION27 over concerns about the vetting of people who work with children.

The court found that the Department of Social Development is responsible for maintaining the register and stressed that protecting children must remain a priority across government departments. The Department of Justice is also required to ensure that people who have been convicted of offences that make them unsuitable to work with children are reported to the register.

The organisations are now calling for the relevant departments to comply with their legal obligations and ensure that the register is regularly updated to prevent unsuitable individuals from working with children.

Read the full judgment here