The figures for the number of rapes appears to be down in KwaZulu-Natal, but the province still had the second highest number of cases reported in the country during the 2016 / 2017 period.
This is as per the the SAPS’ crime statistics, released in parliament on Tuesday morning.
A total of 7032 cases were reported to police in KZN during the period.
This compared with 7 307 cases reported during the previous period.
The province had the second highest number of reported rapes during the period though. Gauteng had the highest, with 7 700.
Speaking generally, Acting Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Lesetja Mothiba told parliament a total of 39 828 counts of rape were reported across the country during the period, representing an overall decrease of 4% since the previous period.
Mothiba said a in national sample of 344 cases, 98.9% of the victims were female and that 1.1% were male.
He said young people were most at risk and that more than 49% of the victims were younger than 19 years old, while 9.1% were 9 or younger.
In terms of offenders, he said, 41.1% of them were aged between 20- and 29-years-old.
Mothiba said 34% of victims had consumed alcohol before they were assaulted and that 6% had taken drugs.
Fifteen percent of offenders had consumed alcohol first and 11.1% had used drugs.