The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) reports that most murders committed in South Africa remain unsolved, citing the latest police annual reports showing that suspects are only detected in less than a third of the murder cases opened.
The ISS head of governance, crime and justice division Gareth Newham, says: “For example, the 2013/14 SAPS annual report shows that suspects are only detected in 29,6% of murder cases opened by the police.
“This means that two out of every three murders in South Africa are not solved by the police.
“It is also important to recognise that in most countries, including developed countries such as America, Canada, England and Australia, a large proportion of murders are unsolved.
“In the US, one in three murders is never solved. Only if there is hard evidence linking an individual to a murder can the police solve the case.
“If a body is found and there are no witnesses or any indication of who committed the murder, it can be very difficult for the police to identify a suspect,” says Newham.
Newham is responding to enquiries regarding the availability of statistics on the number of unresolved murder cases, saying police have the figures for cold cases, but they remain unknown because unfortunately they are not included in the SAPS annual reports.
“I am sure the police have statistics on the number of murder cases that are unsolved. But, unfortunately, these are not reported on in the SAPS Annual Reports and we don’t have them.”
Murders are the most serious of crimes, says Newham. “It is important that detectives are well trained, experienced and resourced if they are to increase the numbers of murders they solve.
“Ensuring dedicated forensic capacity to assist detectives in identifying possible suspects is also of great importance, particularly if there are no witnesses.
“Police can reduce murders that are associated with armed robberies, organised crime and inter-group conflict, but these are not the main factors driving South Africa’s high murder rate.
“Most murders, almost two out of three in South Africa, occur between people who are acquainted with each other and get into a dispute.
“The factors that lead to a murder are complex and often driven by particular social and individual dynamics which the police can do little about.
“Many perpetrators of murder were often exposed to domestic and other types of violence as children and adolescents, had poor or inconsistent care-giving as children, and tend to abuse alcohol.
“For South Africa to sustainably reduce its murder rate, it will require more focus on ensuring that our children and young people are not exposed to violence in their homes, communities or schools. Reducing our murder rate is, therefore, not something that the police can do on their own. Other government departments will also have to play a role”.
Newham says families of the victims can assist by providing information that detectives could use to identify a possible suspect.
Sometimes it is providing access to personal items such as diaries or information about their loved ones, friends, associates or potential enemies.
“If they are wealthy, they could hire the services of a private investigator to also assist with the investigation.
The police are often asked why they work overtime and even use their forensic teams to solve what are deemed high-profile murders, when most murders occurring among ordinary communities remain unsolved.
Newham says: “When a murder is high-profile, the police feel more pressure to solve the case as there is a lot of public attention on them.
“If they solve the murder, more people will know about it and this can build public confidence in the police.
“However, if they don’t solve a high-profile murder, it can damage public confidence in the police.
“For these reasons, police around the world tend to put more effort and resources into high-profile murders”.
Sunday Independent