The Witness, 4 June 2026 — KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of statutory rape cases in the country during the 2024/25 financial year, with Parliament hearing that underreporting, family pressure and harmful cultural practices continue to hamper efforts to protect children and secure convictions.
Parliament’s police portfolio committee heard that 729 statutory rape cases were reported in the province. Of these, 430 suspects were charged, 39 were convicted and 525 cases were withdrawn in court. A further 29 cases remain under investigation. According to a South African Police Service (SAPS) presentation, statutory rape remains a priority within the police’s gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) strategy and child protection framework. However, investigations involving minors face several obstacles.
Among the key challenges identified were family pressure, harmful cultural practices and a lack of trust in the criminal justice system. SAPS also highlighted difficulties in enforcing mandatory reporting obligations under the Children’s Act. The presentation stated that teachers, healthcare workers, parents and caregivers sometimes fail to report cases because of ethical concerns, fears of exposing children to criminal proceedings or concerns that reporting may jeopardise financial support provided by perpetrators.
“In some communities, minors are viewed as marriageable adults, while alleged offenders are regarded as legitimate in-laws, resulting in families choosing not to report abuse,” reads the presentation.
Fear of stigma, victimisation, dissatisfaction with the pace of investigations and attempts to resolve matters outside the criminal justice system were also identified as factors contributing to underreporting. Police said investigations become more difficult when offences occur within families, as relationships can affect witness co-operation and evidence gathering. Some communities also prefer informal resolutions rather than pursuing criminal cases.
The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units face additional pressures, including public scrutiny in high-profile cases and the need to co-ordinate investigations involving multiple government departments and agencies. SAPS said these factors often delay the progression of cases to prosecution. The police could not provide an average turnaround time from reporting to arrest, saying each case is influenced by different investigative circumstances. “Cases are then referred to specialised FCS investigators.
“Statutory rape remains a priority within the police strategic plans, with ongoing efforts focused on prevention, victim support, improved investigations and accountability under the national GBVF Action Plan,” read the presentation.
LifeLine Pietermaritzburg executive director Sinikiwe Biyela said the statistics presented to Parliament do not reflect the true extent of the problem. She said LifeLine assisted 168 young girls who were statutory rape survivors between April 2025 and March 2026, with the youngest being 11 years old. “Most cases of statutory rape go unreported by both girls and their parents. Cases that are documented and reported are mainly those of young girls who are impregnated by older men. “This number is much higher in comparison to 729 reported cases in the last five years presented by SAPS in KZN,” said Biyela.
“Young girls should be supported through psychosocial support/counselling so that they can lay charges and they don’t withdraw such cases, and parents who use their children for financial benefits should be arrested,” she said.
Dr Shaheda Omar, clinical director at the Teddy Bear Foundation, said statutory rape cases are often complicated by “family pressure, economic dependence on perpetrators, community stigma and attempts at reconciliation”, which can result in victims or caregivers withdrawing support for criminal proceedings. She said child protection services continue to face funding constraints, staff shortages and growing demand, while lengthy court delays and repeated postponements can lead to secondary victimisation.
Omar called for a “comprehensive, multi-sectoral response”, including stronger sexuality education in schools, improved awareness of consent, grooming behaviours and reporting mechanisms, better funding for child protection and victim support services, and faster processing of child sexual offence cases.
