Child units need help - DA
2003-02-11 14:03
Johannesburg - South Africa's child-protection units are in a state of neglect and decay, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday after a probe into the operating effectiveness of the country's 45 units.
The DA's Mike Waters, who visited the CPUs, distributing questionnaires, carrying out inspections and interviewing unit commanders, said they were under-resourced.
"In many cases, crimes are committed against children and the state simply cannot protect them or ease the trauma of their experience," he said.
Waters identified five major problem areas during his visits, including not enough units countrywide and not enough officers to man them.
"The numbers of vacant posts reach nearly 80% in one province," he said.
Other problems were that many CPU officers had not been given training in child protection and that facilities were in bad repair.
Victimised several times
"There's a severe and chronic lack of vehicles, telephones, support and forensic services. (Also) officers have very high caseloads with an average of 104 for each child protection officer in Mpumalanga.
"There's not enough co-ordination between government departments, especially health, welfare and justice. This means child victims often end up victimised a second time by the system."
He said that when the DA handed its report to the government, it would recommend an immediate needs analysis be conducted at all CPUs and that they be supplied with basic infrastructure.
The DA would also recommend the staff shortage be addressed, that district surgeons be reinstated and that additional forensic nurses with the job of prioritising child sexual-offence cases be introduced at state hospitals.
"We need special sexual-offences courts and we need to address the simple issue of overtime pay for overloaded child protection officers.
"We will not let this rest. The DA will be handing this report to the minister... They must make this right and if they keep failing we will keep asking why," said Waters.
- SAPA