Dear Editor
Yesterday the Democratic Alliance (DA) launched a national probe into the staggering growth in statutory rape and child pregnancies across South Africa. As a first step in this campaign we will investigate whether provincial government departments are fulfilling their role in addressing this scourge in line with the Children’s Act
I was present at the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrates Court today, as the suspect in the repeat-rape of an 8-year old girl appeared for a bail hearing.
What makes this case all the more disturbing is that the suspect is the 53-year old deputy principal of the primary school at which the rape victim is a junior pupil.
This is one example where the alleged perpetrator of this crime is facing the consequences, but we believe the cases that actually end up in court are merely the tip of the iceberg of this scourge.
The Children’s Act seeks to ensure that all perpetrators of rape and statutory rape face the full might of the law. This is why the Act mandates any person, who has reason to believe that a child is being sexually abused or molested to report it to the police, a designated children’s protection organisation, or the provincial department of social development.
We urge all people who suspect incidents of abuse to report the matter as they are required to do, to the relevant authorities. We are aware that the perpetrators often buy the silence of victims and their families to cover up their crimes. Those who succumb to such bribery and extortion are equally guilty of a crime.
As a political party, it is our primary duty to ensure that government departments are held to account for the role they must play in supporting abused children, reporting abuse to the SAPS, and ensuring that the victims of abuse are safe-guarded. For example, if a pregnant child presents to a health care facility, it is mandatory to report it, including the pathways of reporting it to the SAPS. The law imposes similar duties on various other departments.
That is why DA MPLs across the country will table questions to establish what is being done by provincial departments of education, health and social development to comply with the law and that suspected crimes are diligently followed up by the SAPS to secure prosecutions and convictions..
The DA will not allow the rape of children to become normalised in South Africa.
I was encouraged by the high turnout in court today of various sectors of the Bronkhorstspruit community to express their opposition to child abuse.
While the alleged perpetrator has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty, the fact that suspects in child rape cases make it into Court is an important step in the accountability chain.
The DA will also seek to ensure that the victims of such abuse get the psycho-social support which they need to heal to the greatest extent possible.
Regards
Helen Zille
DA Federal Council Chairperson