A week ago, Gauteng provincial police tabled the second quarter crime statistics for the 2024/25 financial year before the portfolio committee on community safety. The crime statistics of the period under review, July to September, show an overall decrease in most major crimes, including murder and aggravated assault. In fact, all contact crimes saw a notable decrease.

However, the murder rate for women and children didn’t follow the same trajectory, increasing by a two-digit percentage point. The murder rate for women increased by a numbing 53.5%, translating to more than 250 more women being killed in the reporting period than in the same period the previous year. For children, the murder rate increased by a shocking 44.1%, translating to 15 more children being murdered. Equally on the increase for children is the rate of attempted murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, which increased by 6% and 4.3%, respectively...