Cape Town - Crimes against women and children continued to show an increase in the country, with 902 women, and 352 children being killed in three months.
Major-General Norman Sekhukune, head of police crime research told MPs while there had been a decrease in the murder of children between October and December, there was an increase in the murder of women.
The government said most of the women died at the hands of people they knew.
He said apart from the murder of women and children, there were also attempted murders and aggravated assaults against them.
“When we look at the crimes against women and children in the current quarter we have reported 902 murders of women, attempted murders were 1 284 and assault GBH were 15 692. In terms of the murders there were 36 more women killed in the current quarter when compared to the previous quarter. It was 83 more attempted murders when compared to the previous quarter. In terms of the murder of boys and girls, that is children from (1-17 years old) we have recorded a decrease of 21. That is, we had 352 children that were murdered, a decrease of 21 when compared to the previous period,” said Sekhukhune.
The police have been under pressure to mount a fight against criminals and those behind the violence against women and children.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently signed Gender-Based Violence (GBV) laws that would, among others, tighten bail conditions against the perpetrators.
The three laws were tabled in Parliament a few months ago and MPs fast-tracked the adoption of these laws.
The laws would also allow victims of GBV to get a protection order online.
POLITICAL BUREAU