The latest crime statistics paint a grim picture of crime in the country over the festive period and the end of 2021. Nearly four children a day were murdered in South Africa between October and December last year.  These three months was the time period of these quarterly statistics.

Three hundred and fifty-two children (up to the age of 17 ) were murdered in the last three months of 2021  and 902 women were murdered.

South Africa also recorded a nine percent decrease in the number of reported rape cases in the last three months of 2021.

Police Minister, Bheki Cele says 11-thousand-315 people were sexually assaulted between October and December last year.

He says this is a decrease of 903 rape cases when compared to the previous reporting period.

In comparison to the previous reporting period, the numbers are even more shocking. There were 6 163 murders from July to September 2021, and more women were murdered compared to the previous quarter in which 897 women were murdered.

And overall there are also other crime trends that police officials have tracked.  Despite cases of rapes decreasing in the third quarter compared to the previous year’s third quarter, they increased quarter-on-quarter. 9 556 cases of rape were recorded from July to September 2021, and 11 315 from October to December.

Police Minister Bheki Cele says members of the SA police force will, from 5 July, receive their Covid-19 vaccination.

The Minister says the virus has, to date, claimed the lives of 666 police-force members.

Cele says the police will continue to see to it that residents continue to adhere to the adjusted level 4 lockdown regulations.

Access the briefing here.

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