House Chair, the ACDP believes that we are facing an absolute moral crisis—a legal crisis—when it comes to rape, and particularly when it comes to statutory rape in our nation. There are excellent laws, but they are not implemented.
During 2024/25, there were 117,000 teenage pregnancies and as the Member of the EFF said, each one of these is a crime scene. But why are these matters not reported?
Firstly, despite very good investigators, there are insufficient investigators and there are insufficient social workers. And sadly, there’s a culture of silence—of hushing it up. And who suffers? It is those children themselves. We cannot allow this, in good conscience, to continue.
And, why is statutory rape so important? Because the first thing that a male predator does when there is a victim that a lays a charge, he says, “You consented!” In the case of statutory rape, there is no question of consent. Once the act has been committed, the person can be found guilty and sentenced to a minimum sentence in prison.
So, therefore, we as the ACDP, support this report. But so much more needs to be done. As the longest standing member of the Justice Portfolio Committee, it is a pity that we were not able to be part of this, and we look forward now to take this process forward.
This is a moral crisis and we call of faith-based organisations to come and assist and expose those adult predators that sit in churches as well. It’s time for the silence to end. It’s time to stand up and report these cases.
I thank you.
