Victims of Crime survey: SA still feels unsafe, while many crimes remain unreported

Stats SA released the findings of its Victims of Crime survey on Thursday, with suggestions that a lot of crime in South Africa remains unreported.

Survey data suggest this may be due to citizens having little faith in the police to follow up and solve crimes.

Less than half of housebreakings were reported to police and just 60% of home robberies were reported. 1.3 million housebreakings took place, with the highest proportion in the Northern Cape.

Less than a third of 1.2 million thefts of personal property were reported to police.

If you’re assaulted in South Africa, there’s about a 50% chance that it will be at the hands of a close acquaintance or family member, with 22% of assaults between spouses/intimate partners.

Only 35% of South Africans feel safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods at night, though the proportion who felt safe during the day has risen somewhat, to about 83%, according to the survey data.

Take a look at the graphs and further detail below:

About the Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey – Victims of #Crime survey
Read more here: https://t.co/0Rjo5xMiGk#StatsSA pic.twitter.com/lYGHMEXcv9

— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 3, 2019

Less than half of incidences of #housebreaking and 60% of home #robberies were reported to the police #crime
Read more here: https://t.co/0Rjo5xMiGk#StatsSA pic.twitter.com/tZFMRSFBhL

— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 3, 2019

Follow the release of the Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey – Victims of #Crime survey live here: https://t.co/N5d4USl2UU

— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 3, 2019

There were about 1,3m incidences of #housebreaking affecting 5,77% of households in South Africa. The highest proportion (7,39%) of households that experienced housebreaking was in the Northern Cape #crime
Read more here: https://t.co/0Rjo5xMiGk#StatsSA pic.twitter.com/HUwDVeDz7M

— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 3, 2019

Less than a third of the 1,2 million incidences of theft of personał property were reported to the police #crime
Read more here: https://t.co/0Rjo5xMiGk#StatsSA pic.twitter.com/rQvxrzUgSS

— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 3, 2019

Almost 50% of the assaults were committed by someone close such as a friend or acquaintance (22%), spouse/intimate partner (15%), a relative or other household member (12,6%) #crime
Read more here: https://t.co/0Rjo5xMiGk#StatsSA pic.twitter.com/RiOV1gQzTL

— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 3, 2019

Individuals who felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhood during the day increased from 79,1% in 2017/18 to 82,8% in 2018/19 while to 35,1 % felt safe walking alone at night.

Read more here: https://t.co/0Rjo5xMiGk#StatsSA pic.twitter.com/WCz1RYAvAw

— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 3, 2019

(Compiled by Charles Cilliers)

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