Child Rape in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: An Analysis of Substantiated Cases

• NCJ Number: 221594
• Journal: Acta Criminologica Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: 2004 Pages: 48-54
• Author(s): S. J. Collings; W. A. Wiles
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 7 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: South African Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa
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Annotation

This study documents the incidence and characteristics of child rape in a large and representative sample of reported cases in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Abstract

Study findings show that child rape is most often perpetrated by a family member or an individual well-known to the child. Child rapes frequently occur in the victim's home or in a familiar setting, most often during daylight hours. Children 12-17 years old were most likely to report being raped; preschool children (birth to 5 years old) were least likely to report being raped. Regarding victims' HIV status, the findings show an increase in the proportion of raped children who were HIV positive at the time of the report (6.5 percent in 2002 and 10 percent in 2003). The victim's HIV status was found to be unrelated to the rape or to demographic/background characteristics; however, HIV status was positively associated with whether the victim had been sexually active prior to the rape. This suggests that the trend in victims' HIV status reflects high-risk sexual behavior in the context of the HIV/Aids pandemic in South Africa rather than the fact of child rapes. Trends in child-rape reporting suggest that it is increasing in South Africa. Further research is required in order to determine whether the findings from this police jurisdiction apply to other South African jurisdictions. This study involved a retrospective review of the medical and social-work case notes for raped children seen at the MGM Crisis Centre attached to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal. Since September 2001, all cases of child rape reported in the North Durban policing area have been referred to the MGM Crisis Centre for medical investigation. This provided a target population sufficiently large and representative to permit significant inferences. 1 table, 2 figures, and 12 references