By Doreen Mokgolo
- Overall crime in Gauteng drops 6% but rape cases increase by 3.6%.
- Police arrest over 22,000 suspects including more than 7,000 illegal immigrants.
Just like the other provinces, Gauteng has fewer crimes overall but a sharp rise in crimes against women.
Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni confirmed on Friday that the province had recorded more rapes, as per the recent crime statistics.
Crime in the province dropped by 6% between July and September compared to the same period last year. This means 6,525 fewer cases were reported.
Speaking in Boksburg, Mthombeni said police managed to reduce 15 out of 17 serious crimes reported by communities. However, Gauteng still accounts for about a quarter of all crimes in South Africa.
Police arrested 22,243 suspects during this time. Of these, 7,202 were illegal immigrants.
The number of murders dropped by 46 cases compared to last year, with 1,579 reported in the last three months.
Other arrests included:
- 102 suspects for serious robbery
- 1,115 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
- 966 for common assault
- 3,251 for drug crimes
- 3,149 for drunk driving
- 294 for possessing illegal guns or bullets
- Violent crimes like murder, attempted murder and assault dropped by 7.6%.
“Murder, attempted murder and assault-related offences showed a decline. However, sexual offences, particularly rape and sexual assault, saw an increase,” Mthombeni said.
Rape cases went up by 75 to 2,171 cases – a 3.6% increase.
Police arrested 1,031 suspects for sex crimes. Courts sentenced 130 sex offenders to a combined total of 27 life terms and 1,042 years in prison.
Pictured above: Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni.
Source: Doreen Mokgolo
