Parliament, Wednesday, 3 June 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Police has expressed serious concern over the continued challenges at the South African Police Service (SAPS) Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), warning that the situation is hampering efforts to combat statutory rape and gender-based violence (GBV).
The committee raised these concerns during an engagement with SAPS leadership and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) as part of Parliament’s ongoing Statutory Rape Inquiry.
Committee Chairperson Mr Ian Cameron said the persistent challenges at the FSL are unacceptable, particularly given the critical role forensic science plays in securing justice for victims of rape and statutory rape.
“While we note the efforts to increase investments in DNA analysis infrastructure and the planned expansion of a laboratory in Mpumalanga, the longstanding challenges at the FSL require pragmatic solutions. In a country facing inordinate amounts of rape and statutory rape, it is intolerable that these challenges persist,” said Mr Cameron.
The committee remains concerned that, despite statutory rape being a mandatory reporting offence, significant levels of underreporting continue. It has urged SAPS to strengthen measures against adults who fail to report incidents of statutory rape and has requested statistics on actions taken against those who neglect this legal obligation.
The committee further called on all relevant government departments to intensify public awareness campaigns on statutory rape and improve communication efforts aimed at removing barriers to reporting cases of rape and statutory rape.
The committee was also critical of the CSPS for the absence of a clear policy framework specifically focused on policing and combating statutory rape. The committee is of the view that the lack of a dedicated policy approach undermines efforts to effectively address this crime trend and limits the ability of law enforcement agencies to respond in a coordinated and strategic manner.
Consequently, the committee has called on the CSPS to urgently undertake a comprehensive research process to identify gaps, trends and best practices that can better capacitate SAPS in its efforts to prevent, investigate and combat statutory rape. The committee emphasised that evidence-based policy interventions are critical to strengthening the criminal justice system's response to this crime and ensuring greater protection for vulnerable children.
Members also expressed concern over the withdrawal of statutory rape cases. The committee emphasised that SAPS members who permit or facilitate the withdrawal of such cases act contrary to existing SAPS instructions. The committee noted with concern that 1 853 statutory rape cases were withdrawn between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 financial years.
In addition, the committee raised serious concerns regarding the lack of adequate tools of trade for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units across the country. While welcoming SAPS's undertaking to review the availability of resources within these units, the committee stressed that urgent intervention is required to ensure they are properly equipped and able to respond effectively to statutory rape cases.
The availability of rape kits required for the collection of buccal samples also remains a concern and requires immediate attention throughout the criminal justice value chain.
The committee further highlighted the shortage of detectives within FCS units. Although SAPS has indicated that additional detectives will be allocated, the committee believes that sustained investment in skilled investigative capacity is essential to improve the investigation of GBV and statutory rape cases.
Furthermore, the committee remains concerned about the low conviction rates in statutory rape cases. “The lack of convictions undermines the drive to ensure accountability for perpetrators of these heinous acts,” Mr Cameron emphasised.
The committee will continue to exercise oversight over SAPS and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that challenges affecting the investigation and prosecution of statutory rape cases are urgently addressed. Protecting children, supporting victims and holding perpetrators accountable must remain a national priority.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR IAN CAMERON.
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