Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS Unit) detectives arrested 491 suspects and secured 37 convictions and nine life sentences in September.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said that from September 1 to September 30, the KZN FCS Unit detectives arrested 491 suspects for crimes such as rape, kidnapping, abduction, attempted murder, assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, child neglect and indecent exposure.
“During this period, 37 convictions were secured by various teams in the province.
“This included nine life sentences and 260 years of imprisonment for a number of accused who appeared in various courts within the province,” Gwala said.
She said that as more cases are pending in court, it is certain that many other accused will be receiving sentences that will serve as a lesson to others who abuse women and children in the province.
Gwala added that due to victims who broke the silence and through their courage reported incidents of exploitation, detectives were able to secure the convictions and put the perpetrators behind bars.
“We also encourage other victims who are afraid to speak up to not allow their abusers to silence them.”
Daily News