More than 26 000 offences against children were reported to police in a single year, and a damning new investigation has warned that South Africa's schools are among the places where many children are most at risk.
A South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) report has found that sexual violence is deeply entrenched in schools across the country, exposing systemic failures to protect learners despite years of safeguarding laws, policies and repeated warnings.
The report found that abuse is allegedly perpetrated by educators, fellow learners, school staff, service providers and outsiders. Although the inquiry was prompted by allegations of sexual abuse involving educators at St John's College in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, the commission concluded that the evidence points to a far broader national crisis affecting schools across South Africa.
The report titled “Sexual Violence at Schools: A Crisis of Fragmentation, Delayed Integration, Incomplete Register Population, and Uneven Enforcement” notes that in the 2024/25 financial year, 26 855 child abuse cases were recorded, including 9 857 cases of sexual abuse. Over the same period, the SAPS also registered 2 826 charges related to child sexual offences.
