South Africa: Over 1,800 Child Rape Cases Dropped As DNA Labs Fall Behind

Parliament's police committee says 1,853 statutory rape cases were withdrawn between 2020 and 2025, warning that SAPS members who allow this are breaking their own rules.

South Africa's forensic labs are too slow, rape kits are running out nationwide, and there is no dedicated policy guiding police on how to investigate the rape of children.

More than 1,800 cases of children being raped were closed in South Africa over five years. Parliament says that has to stop.

When a child is raped, police are supposed to collect evidence and build a case. But the labs that test that evidence are too slow. The kits used to collect it are running out. And there are not enough detectives trained to handle these cases properly.

Between 2020 and 2025, 1,853 of these cases were withdrawn. Parliament's police committee says officers who close these cases are breaking their own rules.

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Committee chairperson Ian Cameron said the situation at the police forensic lab is unacceptable.

"In a country facing inordinate amounts of rape and statutory rape, it is intolerable that these challenges persist," he said.

Even when cases do make it to court, convictions are low. Cameron said that is letting perpetrators walk away without consequences.

The units that are supposed to protect children, handle abuse cases and investigate sexual offences do not have the tools or the staff they need. More detectives have been promised, but the committee says promises are not enough.

There is also no clear policy telling police exactly how to handle child rape cases. The committee has told the government body that oversees SAPS to fix that urgently.

Many cases are never reported at all. Reporting the rape of a child is required by law, but it still does not happen often enough. The committee wants action taken against adults who stay silent, and stronger campaigns to encourage people to come forward.