South Africa still grapples with alarmingly high levels of rape as it marks Women’s Month this August, yet women who are victims of sexual violence lack support in court to secure convictions.

So says Caroline Peters, the founder of the Callas Foundation, a Bridgetown-based non-profit organisation that tackles various social ills in communities.

According to SAPS national crime statistics for October to December last year, 1 135 women were murdered, up 3%, from 1 101 for the same period in 2022, and attempted murders, where women were the intended victims, increased almost 12%, from 1636 to 1830 cases. While rape and sexual assault cases dropped 1.7% and 1.9% respectively, the number of cases remained high with 12 211 rapes reported and 2114 sexual assaults. Attempted sexual offences increased by 1.3% from 763 to 773 cases.

A growing number of women were dropping sexual assault cases because they lacked support at court while the perpetrator often had family and friends behind him, Ms Peters said.

The courts also often let the accused out on bail allowing them to continue the abuse, sometimes killing their partners, she said, adding that victims of sexual violence still faced secondary trauma when reporting crimes from police officers not trained to provide them with the necessary support.

“We are overwhelmed especially with complex issues around women. I have clients whose fathers are the perpetrators. If you look at the drop-out rate of cases not prosecuted, it’s increasing, with the conviction rate even lower. They are now postponing cases to October/November 2025. Women are tired; they don’t get the support,” she said.

It was common for women to withdraw cases for financial reasons as the perpetrator was often the breadwinner, she said.

The continuing plight of women in South Africa cast a pall over any Women’s Month celebrations, she said.

“I’m at a point where I ask what do we have to celebrate? We have taken ten steps back. People have become unpopular when they speak up about abuse.

“There has been an increase in matters reported to the organisation. Police, even prosecutors, ask us to help the women who go through the justice system. Our number of walk-in clients has also increased with physical abuse remaining the highest type of abuse reported.”

Fear was another big reason why women stayed in abusive relationships, she said.

“I can tell women that I can take them to a shelter right now, but they are so scared that their partners will find them.”

There also appeared to be a growing link between hunger and sexual violence, she said.

“We’ve had women who have pleaded with us to dish food in a certain way to please their husbands, who feed their husbands first, or stand in the queue so early so that their husbands don’t get angry when he is hungry.”

She urged the government to “be serious” about fighting violence against women.

“We cannot have the best legislation in the world but not enough resources to implement it.”

Manenberg police spokesman Captain Ian Bennett said it was vital to speak out and report abuse, while Athlone police station’s Sergeant Zita Norman said poverty and substance abuse fuelled the problem.

“Women tend to stay with abusive partners because of financial stability, no support, and no other accommodation,” she said.

The founder of the Callas Foundation, Caroline Peters, says there is a growing link between poverty and abuse.

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Women need more support at court