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AT RISK: In this file picture members of Women and Men Against Child Abuse protest outside court. A new study on child murders shows that the country's child protection policies have little effect. PHOTO: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

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"As a nation we are actually failing our children if we do not look at how to prevent these deaths," Dr Shanaaz Mathews, a researcher at MRC, said yesterday.

The report indicated that policies and practices in relation to the protection of children were having little effect in keeping children safe in their homes and communities.

Nearly half of the murder cases recorded in the study, more than 44%, were the result of child abuse and neglect. More than a third, 35%, of child abuse were because of abandonment within the first week after birth.

The study found that almost three quarters of these cases occurred among children younger than four. In this age group, 54.5% of cases involved girls.

In all the older age groups, significantly more of the victims were also girls.

Mathews said the study showed child murders had a distinct age and gender pattern.

The study highlighted abandoned babies, fatal child abuse and interpersonal violence affecting mostly teenage boys.

The study revealed excessive rates of teenage male murders, with these deaths related to the use of weapons in the context of interpersonal violence.

It also showed that children were mostly killed by a known person who was not related, which was most common for boys.

The second-most frequent perpetrator group involved female parents - nearly half of all murders of girls were perpetrated by mothers.

Mathews said South Africa had progressive legislation around abortion and that contraception services were readily available. "Why are women abandoning babies?" she asked.

South Africa needed a friendlier adoption service where women know their options, she said.

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Wed May 22 11:01:11 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 23, 2012

Pontshopontsho

i love my children and i will do anything to keep them same
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Aug 23, 2012

Bolander

Isnt it terrible that these days you cannot trust anyone but yourself to keep your children safe ..
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Aug 23, 2012

beautiful4

yah! i really dont trust anyone in this world anymore, people have changed to be cruel animals indeed!!
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Aug 23, 2012

Uglicious

We really need God in our lives!
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Aug 23, 2012

iPhone4

Web team where's the article on that school teacher that beat the leaving hellllll out of a school kid? I thought I was you might cover it
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