Crime activist addresses sexual assault against minors

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen

Activists monitoring the numbers stated that there are alarming statistics of sexual violence in the Western Cape, with five women and girls raped daily, totalling 1,909 reported cases between January and April this year. Zona Morton, a whistleblower and crime activist, highlighted a disturbing trend of sexual predators targeting minors under the age of 10.

Speaking on VOC Breakfast, Morton expressed her deep concern, stating, “The stats are horrific; it is a pandemic beyond understanding. 50% of the daily reports involve minors. We have children as young as four-years-old sexually assaulted by perpetrators known either to the family or the community. There is also a shortage of social workers able to address this issue.”

Morton emphasized the vulnerability of young girls, especially in communities burdened by socioeconomic challenges. She noted an increase in sexual assaults against young boys as well, with reports of at least two to three cases daily. Morton highlighted that perpetrators include females, not solely males.

Further elaborating on the issue of convicted child sexual assault perpetrators reoffending, Morton cited a specific case involving a teenage girl who was repeatedly kidnapped and raped for months.

“I lay this solely at the doorstep of the parole board and the Department of Correctional Services. It is disturbing that a perpetrator, charged with offences involving minors, was released on parole without victim consultation or police notification. The Department of Correctional Services just shrugs and says this is a matter for the South African Police Services to monitor,” Morton asserted.

“As activists, we conducted research to understand how to address this issue. found out that the social worker ratio for the Western Cape is based on 2001 census data. It is unacceptable to base social worker placement on such outdated information. Currently, we have one social worker for every 11,600 members of the public, double the ratio of police,” commented Morton.

VOC News

Photo: Pixabay

Picture of Aneeqa Du Plessis
Aneeqa Du Plessis

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