DA: Murder conviction rate 12%
2008-09-19 20:43
Johannesburg - The conviction rate for murder was 12.6% in 2007/2008, the DA said on Friday, quoting from the South Africa Police Service's annual report.
Overall, the conviction rate for contact crimes was 19%, said DA safety and security spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard.
"It is difficult to know which is worse - the low conviction rates for serious crimes or the fact that 15 out of 20 crime categories have decreased conviction rates since 2006," she said.
The conviction rate for attempted murder was 11.3% (down 0.59% from 2006), rape 8.9% (down 0.07 percent), house robbery 7.7% (down 1.72%) and hijacking of cars 7.29% (down 2.36%).
The murder conviction rate of 12.6% was 0.82% lower than in 2006.
"The bottom line is that if people do not have faith that the crime they report will result in a conviction, they will simply not bother reporting crimes...
"We must see more resources and personnel allocated to the detective service, for without the capacity to investigate and solve crimes and refer credible cases to court for prosecution, we can never win the fight against crime," said Kohler-Barnard.
- SAPA