150 rapes a day in SA

Pretoria – South Africa’s official rape figures indicate a drop of 0,3% to 54 926 incidents in 2005/’06 – from 55 114 in the previous year.

This represents 150,4 rapes a day. Cash-in-transit heists have increased 74,1% in the past year, the SA Police Service revealed on Wednesday, releasing South Africa’s annual crime statistics.And, the stats also showed the cities which had the worst rates for certain types of crimes.For statistical purposes, six contact crimes were grouped together – murder, attempted murder, indecent assault, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, common assault and rape.The areas worst affected by these contact crimes were Hillbrow in Johannesburg, followed by KwaMashu and Umlazi in Durban.Central business districts (CBD) were the places most affected by robberies.Car hijackings were up 3,1%, truck hijackings 10,9%, and bank robberies 1,7%, said police crime information head Chris de Kock at the Union Buildings.Cash-in-transit heists increased from 220 to 383 – a phenomenon receiving urgent attention in partnership with the SA Banking Risk Information Centre.Car hijackings went from 12 434 to 12 825; truck hijackings from 930 to 829; and bank robberies from 58 to 59.In its annual report, the police said media reporting gave the impression of an increase in multiple murders in single incidents.”Increases in the incidence of robberies at business and residential premises, cash-in-transit robberies and carjacking create circumstances for this to occur.”It seems that people are being fatally wounded during incidents like this because criminals increasingly use heavy-calibre firearms.The number of criminals involved in such incidents has also increased.”The chances are that the perpetrators of crime will shoot bystanders to ‘defend themselves’ or otherwise facilitate escape.”In addition, victims of robberies and car hijackings increasingly tend to defend themselves with firearms against robbers.”The police said it also appeared that family murders were increasing, and that they now affected communities with larger families, resulting in a higher murder rate.Drug-related crimes increased by 13,2% and driving under the influence of alcohol by 9,9%.News24Cash-in-transit heists have increased 74,1% in the past year, the SA Police Service revealed on Wednesday, releasing South Africa’s annual crime statistics.And, the stats also showed the cities which had the worst rates for certain types of crimes.For statistical purposes, six contact crimes were grouped together – murder, attempted murder, indecent assault, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, common assault and rape.The areas worst affected by these contact crimes were Hillbrow in Johannesburg, followed by KwaMashu and Umlazi in Durban.Central business districts (CBD) were the places most affected by robberies.Car hijackings were up 3,1%, truck hijackings 10,9%, and bank robberies 1,7%, said police crime information head Chris de Kock at the Union Buildings.Cash-in-transit heists increased from 220 to 383 – a phenomenon receiving urgent attention in partnership with the SA Banking Risk Information Centre.Car hijackings went from 12 434 to 12 825; truck hijackings from 930 to 829; and bank robberies from 58 to 59.In its annual report, the police said media reporting gave the impression of an increase in multiple murders in single incidents.”Increases in the incidence of robberies at business and residential premises, cash-in-transit robberies and carjacking create circumstances for this to occur.”It seems that people are being fatally wounded during incidents like this because criminals increasingly use heavy-calibre firearms.The number of criminals involved in such incidents has also increased.”The chances are that the perpetrators of crime will shoot bystanders to ‘defend themselves’ or otherwise facilitate escape.”In addition, victims of robberies and car hijackings increasingly tend to defend themselves with firearms against robbers.”The police said it also appeared that family murders were increasing, and that they now affected communities with larger families, resulting in a higher murder rate.Drug-related crimes increased by 13,2% and driving under the influence of alcohol by 9,9%.News24