CRIME STATISTICS: Over 9,000 rape cases reported in latest figures

JOHANNESBURG - Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says contact crimes continue to wreak havoc with rape continuing to rise in the latest quarterly statistics.

Rapes in school have also seen a spike with 91 cases reported where most of the perpetrators were also learners.

Police also said that the Eastern Cape is the province with the highest rape per capita, with Inanda station in Kwazulu-Natal recording the most cases.

Mchunu released the latest figures indicating a general increase in most serious crime categories from murder to extortion.

The rape figures in the latest crime numbers come just as Women's Month comes to an end.

Rape is up by 57 incidents and sits at 9,309 cases in the quarter ending in June.

Police Major General Norman Sekhukhune said over 4,000 rapes occurred at a place of residence.

"The places of occurrence for the rape, withdrew from the sample of 7,165, it was indicated that 4,265 of the rapes happened at the residence of the perpetrator or victim. second place was at a public place with 1,766."

Learners have also been the targets, with most perpetrators being fellow pupils.

"Of the 91 rapes that had taken place at school we tried to look who are the perpetrators and who are the victims. In 44 incidents, the perpetrators were learners and victims were also learners."

In terms of gender-based violence, Sekhukhune said 171 murders that were committed were between people who knew each other.