The day that Cwecwe was raped there were another 46 children who were reported raped in South Africa. The shocking story of the violation of a 7-year-old child highlights the vulnerability of the children of South Africa. We see daily our young children being raped by their own fathers and family members.

Violence is robbing children of their childhoods and of their futures. We are shocked by the location of the crime, a school classroom, and by the age of the victim, but as a society, we are inured to the daily pandemic of sexual violence our children, both girls and boys, face. Estimates are that 10% of victims of rape are boys.

In 2024, 2,716 teenage pregnancies were reported for girls between the ages of 10 – 14. Given that children under the age of 12 cannot consent, many of these girls are pregnant as a result of rape.

What is happening is a national shame, a crisis, and a blight on our democracy.  

While we understand the root causes of violence against children, there can be no justification for it and we as a society are not doing enough to stem it.

We must make the elimination of violence against children a national priority.

It is not enough to shore up the justice system. This needs a societal intervention in which all social structures and government work together to combat this violence and create safe spaces for children. This is urgent! There can be no more impunity for perpetrators.

We need to take positive steps to combat the environment of impunity in which perpetrators operate and find ways to combat the circumstances which enable such crimes to take place.

It is apt to quote Mahatma Ghandi: “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” South Africa we are found sorely wanting!