Question NW3201 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
10 November 2023 - NW3201
Abrahams, Ms ALA to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
Whether, with reference to his reply to question 3629 on 28 October 2022, in which he indicated that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) does not keep data on criminal offences committed against children specifically, his department has since instructed the NPA to commence with record keeping of (a) child-specific criminal cases as well as (b) the conviction rate for (i) child murders, (ii) attempted child murder, (iii) assault of a child with the intent to do grievous bodily harm and (iv) sexual offences against children; if not, why not; if so, what has been the total number of successful convictions in the above categories for the SA Crime Statistic quarterly reporting periods of (aa) 1 October 2022 to 31 December 2022, (bb) 1 January 2023 to 31 March 2023 and (cc) 1 April to 30 June 2023?
Reply:
A similar request was received by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in 2022 and which response is attached hereto. Since the NPA were not keeping the data, engagements and the feasibility of obtaining the important information has been undertaken.
The NPA has arranged with the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the interim to share information with the NPA from SAPS in order to interrogate and monitor child-specific cases. The Crime Registrar of the South African Police Service keeps record of the relevant information. To have access to the information held by the South African Police Services, a formal request must be submitted to the National Commissioner of SAPS.
As Indicated previously, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prioritises all Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) matters and more especially where the victims are children. The Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA) Unit within the NPA is tasked with, inter alia, ensuring increased access to justice for victims of GBV as well as optimal management of these matters in a victim responsive manner, in line with the Strategic Plan of the NPA.
This is done by providing pre-trial and court preparation services, often in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSO), at its sixty-three (63) Thuthuzela Care Centres (TCCs) across the country. These one-stop centres provide a variety of essential psycho-social, medical, and legal services thus creating a safe space for child victims to report offences against them and receive services that are empowering them to transform into survivors.
Specialised training is also provided to prosecutors in dealing with child victims and their testimonies. Whilst prosecutors in court are prioritising these matters, data is not kept for offences committed against children specifically. Prosecutors also work closely the investigating officers of these cases and guide the investigations as and when required to do so.
When prosecutors address the court on extenuating or aggravating circumstances, the fact that a child may have been the victim of the crime is one of the various aspects highlighted when the court is addressed before the passing of sentence.