Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Madeleine Hicklin MPL.
A massive backlog of evidence kits from statutory rape and other sexual offenses against children aged 12 to 17 remains uncollected and unprocessed by Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services, delaying justice for numerous young victims and weakening the province’s child protection efforts. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands urgent measure to be implemented to clear the backlog.
According to Brigadier Phumzile Zulu, Provincial Head for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences in Gauteng, a total of 502,407 samples were registered for the 2024/2025 financial year, with only 358,684 finalised, leaving 143,723 outstanding. Many of these samples relate to statutory rape cases, where prompt forensic processing is crucial for prosecution and child protection.
These figures were presented at a recent Joint Committee Inquiry attended by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, representatives of the Gauteng Departments of Health and Social Development, SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and municipal oversight committees.
Statutory rape cases rely heavily on forensic evidence for successful prosecution. Therefore, failures by SAPS and Gauteng health and social development authorities to collect and process evidence undermine child protection and weaken criminal justice outcomes.
Specifically, the Forensic Pathology Service’s inability to process rape kits timeously means cases collapse due to delays in forensic confirmation, victims wait months or years for justice, and perpetrators remain free, posing further risk to children.
This crisis is compounded by the surge in young people requiring health and protection services. According to the Gauteng Health Department’s Chief Director, Phuti Ngwepe, clinic visits by adolescents increased by 45% between 2019 and 2025, and more than 100,000 teenage deliveries were recorded from 2020 to 2025, indicating increased vulnerability among young girls.
The Forensic Pathology Services’ backlog represents a systemic failure by the Gauteng Department of Health, Department of Social Development, SAPS, and the NPA to protect children and ensure accountability for sexual offences. It is an unacceptable breach of the state’s duty of care.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial administration would push for forensic laboratories to operate efficiently, transparently, and with clear performance metrics, particularly for statutory rape and child sexual abuse cases where delays directly endanger children.