Nearly half of all rapes reported in South Africa during the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year took place in the homes of either the victim or the perpetrator, highlighting the persistent threat of gender-based violence behind closed doors.
Releasing the latest crime statistics on Friday, Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said 47.2% of reported rapes during the January to March 2026 period occurred in residential settings.
Of the 9 782 rapes recorded during the quarter, 4 620 took place at the home of the victim or the perpetrator.
“That is 4 620 out of 9 782 rapes, committed not in dark alleys by strangers, but in homes, by people known to the victim,” Cachalia said.
The Minister said the figures underscored the reality that violence in South Africa is often perpetrated by people known to victims, including partners, relatives, neighbours and acquaintances.
“The home, where we should be safest, is for too many of our people, a dangerous place,” he said.
The latest crime data also pointed to broader patterns of interpersonal violence. During the quarter, 1 523 murders occurred in the residences of either the victim or the perpetrator.
According to Cachalia, arguments and misunderstandings were linked to 898 murders, while 251 killings were motivated by retaliation, revenge or punishment.
He said the statistics reveal that many violent crimes are rooted in social and cultural factors, including gender inequality, toxic notions of masculinity and the acceptance of violence as a means of resolving conflict.
“This is a sobering truth: if we want to reduce violent crime, we must confront the culture of violence inside the home, the mistaken idea that men must be violent to be respected or that women must put up with violence to be loved,” he said.
Alcohol abuse also emerged as a significant contributing factor. The Minister said 7 267 incidents of murder, attempted murder, rape and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm were linked to alcohol use during the quarter.
Cachalia called for stronger efforts to address the social drivers of violence, arguing that policing alone cannot solve the problem.
He said government would continue promoting the implementation of the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy, which focuses on addressing the root causes of crime through interventions targeting families, young people, schools, communities and substance abuse.
“Effective crime prevention requires enhanced support from all government departments and from community-based, civil society and private sectors,” he said.
While South Africa recorded declines in several major crime categories during the quarter, Cachalia warned that violence against women and children remains a serious challenge requiring sustained action beyond the criminal justice system. – SAnews.gov.za
