Limpopo police aim for zero GBV cases following worrisome stats
Limpopo recorded an overall increase of 21.3% from 993 to 1 204 sexual offences in the third quarter of the 2022/23 financial year (October 2022 to December 2022), and of 20.6% in rape cases from 1 198 to 1 444 from the previous financial year.
POLOKWANE – Police in Limpopo are considering a multi-disciplinary crime awareness initiative to eventually get gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual offences cases to a 0% rate.
Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe said they were expanding the service’s social crime prevention strategies to also benefit offenders or perpetrators in rehabilitation.
In the past, the men and women in blue’s focus was around the extensive care of women through catering to their legal and social needs while offering basic awareness services offered especially to young men in schools and work places as they are often seen as perpetrators.
This will form communities who are sensitive to blowing the whistle on GBV and rape cases without looking back and empower men to leave abusive relationships, she remarked.
Hadebe made this statement ahead of the presentation of Limpopo’s crime statistics in her boardroom last Friday.
Limpopo recorded an overall increase of 21.3% from 993 to 1 204 sexual offences in the third quarter of the 2022/23 financial year (October 2022 to December 2022), and of 20.6% in rape cases from 1 198 to 1 444 from the previous financial year.
Read more: Crime stats drop, but sexual offences increase
Mankweng and Seshego police precincts show worrisome statistics.
Seshego’s figures show a decrease of only two cases from the 63 reported in the previous quarter, while Mankweng’s cases increased by two from 54 reported cases.
Hadebe admitted that conventional policing continues to limit their ability to stop sexual offences, as these offences often happen behind closed doors and require extensive investigations.
She applauded the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units (FCS) across the province for assisting in the arrest of 267 rape suspects from October 1 to December 31, 2022.
“During the same period, 16 people received 21 life sentences for sexual offences; 10 accused were sentenced to 20 years and more, with a combine total of 235 years behind bars,” she added.
