More than 400 people were arrested for crimes such as rape, assault and kidnapping over a two-month period in KwaZulu-Natal.
Provincial police said 438 people were arrested by detectives of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in KwaZulu-Natal on charges such as rape, sexual assault, assault, concealment of birth, kidnapping and attempted rape. The arrests were made between 1 December and 31 January.
"During the months of December 2020 and January 2021, detectives at the KwaZulu-Natal [FCS] units continued to ensure that justice is served to the victims of rape and sexual abuse," police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said.
Last month, 18 convictions and two terms of life imprisonment, as well as a total of 149 years' imprisonment were attained for sexual-related crimes, Mbele said.
"It is disturbing to hear of cases where women are being assaulted, abused and raped and in addition to this is child abuse… The KwaZulu-Natal police officials are fighting this epidemic around the clock to bring all perpetrators to justice, thus giving peace to the victims and hope to women and children," acting KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Major General Thulani Gonya said.
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