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24 Eastern Cape children killed during level 5 of lockdown

A total of 24 children were killed during level 5 of the Covid-19 national lockdown, according to the latest quarterly crime statistics released by Eastern Cape department of safety and liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe on Thursday.

  • Mfundo Piliso
1 min read
Axed transport and community safety MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe has finally broken her silence on the much-publicised war between her and premier Oscar Mabuyane, admitting that they “differed in opinion”.
Axed transport and community safety MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe has finally broken her silence on the much-publicised war between her and premier Oscar Mabuyane, admitting that they “differed in opinion”. Axed transport and community safety MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe has finally broken her silence on the much-publicised war between her and premier Oscar Mabuyane, admitting that they “differed in opinion”. Picture: FILE

A total of 24 children were killed during level 5 of the Covid-19 national lockdown, according to the latest quarterly crime statistics released by Eastern Cape safety and liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe on Thursday.

The data released during a virtual media briefing with provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga, indicated that crimes against children had increased by 12.3% from April 1 to June 30 this year, showing a 26.3% increase in the killings of children during that period.

Common assault on children also jumped by 16.1% after a total of 130 children were assaulted during that period.

Sexual offences against children also shot up 14.0% after 601 children were sexually assaulted. Meanwhile, rape cases also soared by 19.2% after 496 children were raped during the same period, and there 154 cases of assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, totalling to an 8.5% increase from last year during the same time.

Crimes against women also soared with 95 women being killed in the second quarter of the year and the data showed that most of those victims had been killed by their partners.

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