The South African Police Service says it arrested 15,888 suspects and secured 2,773 convictions for crimes against children over the past year. The numbers came out as Child Protection Month ended. But activists say the system is still failing kids.

On Saturday June 6, a teenager from Atlantis was shot dead during a gang shooting. She was returning from a youth event. She'd celebrated her birthday the day before. No arrests have been made yet.

Globally, an estimated 1 billion children aged 2 to 17 experience physical, sexual or emotional violence every year, according to the World Health Organization. That's roughly half the world's children. About 90 million children alive today have experienced sexual violence. In childhood, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 7 boys suffer some form of sexual abuse.

Siyabulela Monakali, spokesperson for the anti-GBVF movement Ilitha Labantu, said the figures have sparked public debate. People are asking whether reported cases reflect the real scale of crimes against children. They also wonder if prevention and protection efforts are working.

Monakali said abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children remain deeply concerning, especially in communities hit by poverty, substance abuse, violence, trauma, family instability and other social problems that make children more vulnerable.

“While the arrests and convictions reflected in the statistics demonstrate ongoing efforts to hold perpetrators accountable, they also serve as a reminder of the extent to which children continue to be exposed to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence across South Africa,” Monakali said.

He added that the child protection and criminal justice systems must treat every case involving children with the same seriousness and urgency. Children and their families need access to support, protection and services throughout the reporting, investigation and prosecution process.

Monakali also raised a major concern: official statistics may not show the true scale of the problem. Many incidents go unreported because of fear, intimidation, family pressure, dependence on the perpetrator, stigma and barriers to accessing support services.

He said the continued prevalence of these crimes raises questions about prevention efforts. Arrests and convictions happen after harm has already been done. They shouldn't be the only measure of success in protecting children.

Monakali acknowledged that broader social conditions like poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, trauma, violence and instability contribute to children's vulnerability. But he stressed that these factors can't justify or excuse offences against children.

“Ilitha Labantu maintains that meaningful responses to crimes committed against children require both accountability and prevention measures, including strengthened child protection programmes, early intervention initiatives, improved access to support services, community awareness efforts, and broader investment in safeguarding vulnerable children before harm occurs,” Monakali added.

  • 15,888 suspects arrested for crimes against children in the past year
  • 2,773 convicted
  • 1 billion children globally experience violence annually (ages 2–17)
  • 90 million children alive today have experienced sexual violence
  • 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 7 boys experience childhood sexual abuse
  • An Atlantis teenager was shot dead on June 6, no arrests yet