KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, has commended various units of Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences in KwaZulu-Natal, for the work well done in apprehending 173 alleged rapists and conducting an operation that resulted in some rapists being convicted into a combined sentence of 103 years and one to a life sentence.
Mchunu’s commendation comes in the wake of the successful and splendid work done by the various Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units in KwaZulu-Natal in the past two weeks, which saw a dramatic number of arrests of alleged rapists and the conviction of rapists.
Units in KwaZulu-Natal have arrested a total of 173 alleged rapists in the province for the past two weeks from 14 June 2013 to 28 June. These dedicated teams of detectives have been shuttling to and from the different courts throughout the province in the quest to see justice done to several victims of rape and sexual violation.
For the past two weeks the members were working hard to bring perpetrators to book. Their hard work yielded results when they arrested a total of 173 suspects for sexual related offences including child abandonment, child neglect, indecent assault, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, domestic violence, kidnapping, housebreaking with intent to rape, rape and possession of unlicensed firearms.
In this massive operation, a total of 16 dockets were finalised where the rapists were convicted and sentenced by various courts in the province to a total of 103 years in jail and one accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape he committed during December last year.
An elated Mchunu welcomed these resounding successes by the units dealing with these priority crimes, saying this would, undoubtedly, deliver a clear and unambiguous message to rapists and those abusing the weak such as women and children that the police would always catch up with them.
“I have always said that our men and women in blue uniform are working day and night to remove those who behave like animals from our society. This is, indeed, the best way of demonstrating that rapists and their cohorts will be spared no space in this province to commit their nefarious deeds.”
“This is, indeed, work well done. I am convinced those arrested as suspects will soon be brought before the courts, convicted and removed from society.” “The abuse of children and women is indicative of the decline in morals in the province and our research shows that the abuse of alcohol and drugs is the key driver of such cases.”
“My department has identified drugs as the major driver of various kinds of crime in the province and have launched awareness campaigns to alert, in particular, the youth about the dangers of drugs and alcohol abuse,” said Mchunu.
Mchunu urged communities to work with police in identifying and pointing out people who are trafficking drugs in the province. “Communities need to form a partnership with the police and the department in closing a space for criminals and those who are seeking to corrupt our community through distributing drugs,” said Mchunu.
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