Staff Reporter
There was a drop of 6.1 percent in murder cases and an increase of 8.4 percent in sexual offences in the Free State between April 2019 and March 2020, the latest crime statistics show.
The figures which were released by Police Minister Bheki Cele this Friday indicate 939 people were killed in the province during that period compared to the previous year when 1 000 were murdered.
That means about three people were murdered in the province per day last year as well as in the previous one.
“We know that we are not where we need to be,” Cele told a media briefing with reference to the national crime outlook.
Other contact crimes which include attempted murder, common assault and robbery dropped significantly in the province.
Robberies at residential and business premises dropped by 14.8 percent and 8.3 percent respectively.
There were 725 residential robberies and 876 business robberies.
“The statistics for 2019/20 reflect the slowing down of the increase in violent crimes,” the minister said.
The crime figures do not cover the lockdown period which started at the end of March, meaning improved police operations could have contributed to the drop.
Sexual offences in the Free State however jumped 8.4 percent after 3 746 cases were reported last year compared to 3 457 during the 2018/19 period.
There was an 11 percent increase in cases of rape from 2 646 in 2018/19 to 2 936 last year.
Sexual assault was also up 4.4 percent from 517 to 540 cases.
The crime statistics, normally released in September, have been published early as the police prepare to start producing the figures quarterly.
The province also recorded an increase in carjackings from 236 cases to 241.
Cash-in-transit cases increased by 50 percent from eight to 12.
No bank robberies were reported in the past year.
Arson increased from 123 cases to 148.
Murders however remain high in the country as there was a 1.4 increase in 2019/20, with 21 325 cases reported.
That figure works out to 58 people being killed in South Africa every day.