In addition to rape kits being missing from several Western Cape Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units, sexual crimes investigators are also reportedly overstretched.
According to parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson, Ian Cameron, the South African Police Service (Saps) Kuilsrivier FCS unit alone is short of about four investigators.
Shortage
Cameron visited the unit earlier this week and found that the unit serving Kuilsriver, Kleinvlei, Mfuleni, and Mfuleni Satellite police stations needs proper staffing to handle the roughly 40 dockets they receive a month.
“To their credit, the members at this unit are doing everything they can with limited resources,” said Cameron.
With only seven investigators present, or eight depending on deployment, “that number may not sound overwhelming on paper, but in FCS work, it is a serious load,” continued Cameron.
He said the FCS units work on cases that could include a “traumatised child, a sexual offence survivor, a dangerous suspect, forensic evidence, statements, scene attendance, court dates, DNA follow-up and constant engagement with victims and families”.
A shortage of specialist investigators directly impacts the conviction rate of sexual offences.
“We cannot keep speaking about GBV and child protection while the very units responsible for these cases are left short of people, short of proper offices and dependent on members simply pushing through impossible pressure,” said Cameron.
