The Democratic Alliance says Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia failed rape victims in Parliament after refusing to explain reported SAPS rape kit shortages affecting stations and FCS Units in the Western Cape.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) rape kit shortages at stations and Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Units across the Western Cape are raising concerns over the ability of police to properly investigate and prosecute rape and child rape cases.
Newly obtained information indicates that stations and specialised units in the province are operating with only a fraction of the rape kits identified as operationally necessary in SAPS planning documents and annual needs assessments.
SAPS planning documents show that provincial management has allocated only 20% of the required rape kits to stations across the Western Cape, despite rising sexual offences in several policing areas where shortages or complete absences of D1 rape kits for adults and D7 rape kits for children have been recorded.
DA NCOP Spokesperson on Police & Justice, Nicholas Gotsell, said the shortages reflect a serious failure in protecting victims of sexual violence.
