{"id":5935,"date":"2025-06-03T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/?p=5935"},"modified":"2025-06-03T11:31:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T11:31:43","slug":"only-0-1-of-police-officers-checked-for-sexual-offences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/03\/only-0-1-of-police-officers-checked-for-sexual-offences\/","title":{"rendered":"Only 0.1% of police officers checked for sexual offences"},"content":{"rendered":"

Build One South Africa (Bosa) has condemned the South African Police Service (SAPS) for what it describes as \u201cdangerous negligence\u201d after a revelation that less than 0.14% of police officers have been screened against the National Register for Sex Offenders<\/a> (NRSO).<\/p>\n

Responding to a question in parliament<\/a> posed by Bosa\u2019s deputy leader, Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu disclosed that only 245 members of police service\u2019s 180 000 workforce have been screened against the register. <\/p>\n

This amounts to fewer than one in every 700 officers being vetted for possible sexual offences.<\/p>\n

The disclosure comes as South Africa continues to battle one of the world\u2019s highest rates of sexual violence. In the 2023-24 financial year alone, more than 42 700 rapes were reported<\/a> \u2014 an average of more than 117 a day. The total number of sexual offences recorded stood at 54 885.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis lack of oversight is staggering and undermines any public trust in SAPS\u2019s ability to protect the most vulnerable,\u201d Bosa spokesperson Roger Solomons said in a statement. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the very people tasked with enforcing the law are not properly vetted, we create fertile ground for abuse and impunity within the police service.\u201d<\/p>\n

The concern over inadequate vetting comes as internal misconduct in the police service remains a worry. According to official figures, 2 108 police officers have been dismissed<\/a> for wrongdoing over the past five financial years \u2014 an average of 421 dismissals a year. These cases include various offences, some of which may involve violence, corruption and sexual misconduct.<\/p>\n

Bosa is demanding immediate and far-reaching reforms and the party has formally written to Mchunu, urging him to table a clear and time-bound plan to address the issue.<\/p>\n

This includes the urgent screening of all SAPS personnel \u2014 uniformed and civilian \u2014 within three months, as well as incorporating sexual offenders register checks into all future recruitment, promotion and disciplinary procedures.<\/p>\n

\u201cBosa is also calling for a full public audit of all SAPS staff dismissed in the past five years to identify whether any were employed despite previous convictions for sexual offences,\u201d Solomons said. \u201cTransparency and accountability must be prioritised if the police are to regain public trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

The party further urged parliament and civil society organisations to take an active role in overseeing the implementation of these reforms, stressing that the existence of the National Register for Sex Offenders<\/a> is rendered meaningless if law enforcement agencies fail to use it effectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when South Africans \u2014 especially women and children \u2014 face epidemic levels of sexual violence, this kind of neglect is not just disappointing, it\u2019s dangerous,\u201d Solomon said.<\/p>\n

Bosa has demanded that Mchunu report to parliament within 60 days on the progress in implementing NRSO screenings and broader vetting processes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe police should be the first line of defence against sexual violence, not a blind spot,\u201d Solomon said. \u201cWe need a clean, ethical and professional SAPS that the public can rely on to uphold the law, not ignore it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SAPS had not responded to queries from the Mail & Guardian by the time of publication. <\/p>\n

As of early 2025, the register contained over 32 000 names, with more than 10 000 additional cases pending court outcomes. Despite this, public access remains restricted because of confidentiality clauses in the Sexual Offences Act. <\/p>\n

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi had initially promised to make the register public by February 2025 but later delayed the release<\/a>, citing the need for further legal consultations and compliance with data privacy laws.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have initiated a multi-stakeholder consultative process engaging key experts and institutions to facilitate compliance with the aim of releasing the register as soon as possible,\u201d Kubayi said at the time.<\/p>\n

The register of sex offenders was established to track individuals convicted of sexual offences, particularly against vulnerable groups such as children and persons with mental disabilities.<\/p>\n

While not open to the public, it is accessible to employers who work with children or mentally disabled people, as well as government departments and institutions responsible for child protection. <\/p>\n

Employers are legally required to screen potential employees against the register before hiring them into such roles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Build One South Africa (Bosa) has condemned the South African Police Service (SAPS) for what it describes as \u201cdangerous negligence\u201d after a revelation that less than 0.14% of police officers<\/p>\n

Continue reading <\/use> <\/svg>Only 0.1% of police officers checked for sexual offences<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5935"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5935"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5936,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5935\/revisions\/5936"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}