The South African advocacy group LifeLine has sounded a warning of the dire status of the South African justice systems ability to timeously conclude DNA testing in criminal matters.
Today marks the start of the annual 16 Days Of Activism For No Violence Against Women And Children campaign.
Early this week, South African Minster of Police, Bheki Cele revealed in his quarterly crime statistics that over 10 000 rape cases were reported in the republic in the period between July and September 2022. Cele says that DNA backlogs have been reduced to 71 000 from a little over 140 000.
However, LifeLine's Director of Advocacy, Sinikiwe Biyela says that the figures are not a true reflection of the current challenges faced by women and children.
Biyela says that the DNA backlog is a blockage preventing survivors from getting the justice they deserve.
Read more here: https://thelegalsa.co.za/news