JOHANNESBURG - The Eastern Cape has recorded the highest number of rape and gender-based violence cases involving police officers, according to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
Gauteng previously recorded the highest number of rape cases involving police officers, but has now been overtaken by the Eastern Cape. The Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State follow.
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IPID says more than 5,000 cases were opened against police officers in the past financial year.
Of these, 300 related to gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), while 116 involved allegations of rape by police officers. This is an increase from 95 cases in the previous financial year.
According to IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping, Gauteng had previously recorded the highest number of rape cases involving officers.
“We’ve also had a situation where not only male officers were convicted for acts of rape,” Suping says.
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She says a female police constable is currently serving a prison sentence in a case involving alleged sexual intercourse with her son, who was very young at the time of the incident.
Suping says 277 cases against police officers were concluded. Most officers implicated in rape or gender-based violence cases were dismissed from the service.