The nationwide increase in sexual offences, along with other serious crimes, is mirrored in some of the crime statistics for far south precincts.
Fish Hoek, Simon’s Town and Ocean View have all reported increases in the sexual offences category, and in Fish Hoek the number of cases more than doubled
Police Minister Bheki Cele released the latest crime statistics last week. They show all reported crime in the country from April 1 2019 to March 31 2020.
The stats show increases nationally in murder, rape, assault and robbery.
For the fourth year in a row, rape and other sexual assault cases have risen – 706 more rape cases have been recorded compared to the previous year (from 41 583 to 42 289).
In the Western Cape, there were 4 877 reported rape cases – 4.9% more than last year’s stats.
The country’s murders rose 1.4%, from 21 022 to 21 325 cases. In the Western Cape, they dropped by one case, from 3 975 to 3 974 cases.
Delft has replaced Nyanga as South Africa’s murder capital. Delft’s murder cases rose 7.3%, from 247 to 265 cases, while Nyanga dropped 36%, from 289 to 185 cases, to fifth place.
Six Western Cape precincts – Delft, Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Mfuleni, Harare and Gugulethu – are among the country’s top-10 murder hot spots.
Simon’s Town Community Police Forum chairwoman,
Eileen Heywood, said crime
numbers were static or down compared to the same time last year in all categories except sexual offences.
“Theincreaseinsexual
offences has become a matter of national priority which has been addressed by the president,” she said.
“Because these offences take place behind closed doors, there is little that neighbourhood watches or SAPS can do to prevent them. SA has to develop a cultural taboo and penalise offenders both in the courts and with social ostracism.”
In Simon’s Town, sexual offences went from seven to 10 cases, with rape increasing from one case to three and sexual assault up from two to five cases.
There was one murder in Simon’s Town for the latest reporting period, compared to two for the previous one.
The Muizenberg precinct reported 51 murders – the same number as last year.
Sexual offences dropped from 78 to 76 cases, with rapes down from 47 to 43 cases.
Attempted murders dropped from 56 to 47 cases.
Arson stood out in Ocean View – there were eight cases for 2019/2020 compared to one the previous year.
Murders in Ocean View rose from 30 to 34 cases and attempted murders dropped from 39 to
28 cases. Sexual offences increased from 42 to 55 cases, with rapes jumping 40% from 29 to 40
cases.
Fish Hoek reported a single murder for 2019/2020.
There weren’t any for the previous year. Sexual offences more than doubled from seven to 15 cases, with sexual assault up 200% from two to six cases and rape up 40% from five to seven cases.
Carjackings in Fish Hoek rose from one case to five.
