As of the 2022/2023 fiscal year, the number of convictions in relation to the amount of cases was relatively high. However, when compared to the total number of contact crimes committed in the same period, sexual offense reports amounted to 53,888 but only 4,627 of these cases ended up in court, and just 3,460 of these cases resulted in a conviction.
Number of convictions in South Africa in 2022/2023, by type
The number of cases finalized with a verdict are the criminal cases reported to the police which have gone to court. The number of convictions are influenced by various factors:
1)The National Prosecuting Authority prioritizes those cases which have a good chance of securing a conviction.
2) Nature of the case - in cases where the offender is not known to the victims, the courts needs to identify the offender and then establish guilt.
3) Poor police investigation and/or mistakes made by prosecutors.
4) Inexperienced prosecutors who are not able to present the State's case in an convincing manner.
5) Witnesses, including the accuser, are not working together with the state and who may have lost interest due to court date postponements.
6) The prospect of the accused pleading guilty.
7) The quality of the accused defense.
The source states that contact crimes include violent crimes such as murder, attempted murder and sexual offences, as well as common assault and robbery.
-Femicide is the intentional killing of a female (or perceived female, based on gender identity) specifically because
she is female, whether committed within a domestic relationship, interpersonal relationship or by any other
person.
-Intimate partner femicide is defined as femicide committed by a current or former husband (divorced or
separated), boyfriend (dating or cohabiting), ex-boyfriend or rejected would-be lover.
-Organized crime involves making profit from illicit activites
The numbers reflected here are likely higher in reality due to unreported crimes.
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South African Government. (June 7, 2023). Number of convictions in South Africa in 2022/2023, by type [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1398522/number-of-convictions-in-south-africa-by-type/
South African Government. "Number of convictions in South Africa in 2022/2023, by type." Chart. June 7, 2023. Statista. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1398522/number-of-convictions-in-south-africa-by-type/
South African Government. (2023). Number of convictions in South Africa in 2022/2023, by type. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 14, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1398522/number-of-convictions-in-south-africa-by-type/
South African Government. "Number of Convictions in South Africa in 2022/2023, by Type." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Jun 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1398522/number-of-convictions-in-south-africa-by-type/
South African Government, Number of convictions in South Africa in 2022/2023, by type Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1398522/number-of-convictions-in-south-africa-by-type/ (last visited October 14, 2024)
Number of convictions in South Africa in 2022/2023, by type [Graph], South African Government, June 7, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1398522/number-of-convictions-in-south-africa-by-type/