The D1 adult rape kits, crucial for collecting evidence in sexual assault cases, are in critically low supply in the Western Cape, highlighting serious management failures in the SAPS.
Rape victims on the Cape Flats face having no means of accessing forensic evidence against perpetrators, as rape kits are reportedly unavailable at several police stations.
This news was revealed by Member of Parliament Nicholas Gotsell, a member of the DA and a National Council of Provinces (NCOP) member of Security and Justice.
Gotsell said the shortage of rape kits became apparent during an oversight visit to several police stations on the Cape Flats.
“Serious violent crime, gang activity and sexual offences remain a daily reality on the Cape Flats, yet key SAPS FCS units tasked with assisting rape victims are operating without usable rape kits,” Gotsell said.
