Gauteng statutory rape pandemic: Urgent action needed to protect children
Gauteng’s children are increasingly at risk, with SAPS reporting that most rapes occur in the home by trusted adults. Amid rising pregnancies among girls aged 10–14 and a backlog in the justice system, activists demand urgent intervention to protect victims and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.
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As the country observes the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, Gauteng is confronted with a crisis we can no longer ignore. More than 521 girls aged 10 to 14 became pregnant in 2024. At this age, any pregnancy is statutory rape. Furthermore, 23 170 girls aged 15 to 19 fell pregnant, yet only 242 cases were reported to SAPS between April and December last year. This means most of the men responsible are not being held to account.
This past month, Women For Change marched to demand that gender-based violence (GBV) be declared a National State of Disaster. At the march and across social media, survivors shared painful stories of abuse they suffered as children, often at the hands of family members, teachers, pastors, scholar transport drivers and other authority figures. Their voices highlight what official data has been showing for years.
SAPS statistics confirm that in Gauteng, most rapes take place inside residences, either the perpetrator’s home or the victim’s. This tells us one thing clearly: many perpetrators are people the children know and trust. Abuse is happening behind closed doors, and children between 10 and 14 are the easiest targets.
With thousands of young girls also seeking abortions, the true extent of abuse is far worse than what police reports reflect.
During the 16 Days of Activism, we cannot afford symbolic gestures. Every pregnancy involving a child between 10 and 14 should be treated as a crime and reported immediately by health workers, teachers, social workers and caregivers. The second quarter Crime statistics for the 2025/ 26 financial year revealed a 100% increase in rape in education premises, from 12 in quarter one to 24 in quarter two, which includes 6 creches and 15 schools.
Police must prioritise these cases, and the justice system must clear the backlog that keeps survivors waiting and perpetrators free. Children deserve safety, not silence. Gauteng cannot allow girls to be forgotten in statistics while the cycle of abuse continues in homes, churches, classrooms, and communities.
Refiole Nt’sekhe, MPL DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development