Cwecwe case is a wake-up call

CHILD PROTECTION

- MAVIMBELA AWAM

THE recent public outcry and marches demanding justice for Cwecwe raise a critical question: how well does the South African state protect its children? This is a fundamental concern in social work, which is guided by legal and policy frameworks such as the Children's Act 38 of 2005 on its curriculum.

Statistics show a troubling rise in crimes against children. Between 2015/16 and 2019/20, these crimes increased by 6.3 percentage points. Specifically, the per capita rape rate among children rose from 96 per 100 000 in 2015/16 to 103 in 2018/19. In 2015/16 alone, the rate of sexual assault was 20 per 100,000 children.

Unfortunately, despite policy developments and awareness campaigns, violence against women and children continues to escalate. Reports of gender-based violence (GBV) remain inadequate, with many cases going unreported. This suggests that over 2 million households may be experiencing GBV trauma in silence, as Statistics South Africa reported more than 2 million women experience GBV