Some people questioned if SA is really that bad. Read two articles in the news today and decide.
Robbers make son watch rape
02/04/2008 08:02 - (SA)
Virginia Keppler, Beeld
Pretoria - A robber raped a woman in front of her six-year-old son shortly after midnight in her home in Pebble Rock Estate in Leeufontein, northeast of Pretoria.
Two other robbers held her bound husband and their five-year-old daughter in the bathroom of the main bedroom.
The family, who were making plans to emigrate to Australia, were attacked in their bedroom.
Police spokesperson Captain Jan Sepato said the 35-year-old woman and her 37-year-old husband woke with a fright when they heard something in their bedroom.
When they jumped up, three armed robbers switched on the light.
The couple was overcome by the robbers and forced to lie down on the bed.
Sepato said: "They asked for money and guns and the man said he had money in one of the cupboards."
Made boy watch rape
The robbers went to the cupboard with the man to get the money.
"The man gave them R5 000 and they took him to the bathroom where one robber kept watch over him."
According to Sepato, the robbers woke the couple's children in their rooms and took them to the main bedroom.
"They took the girl to her father in the bathroom and made the boy lie down next to his mother.
"Then one of the robbers raped the mother in front of the boy."
"The robbers then stole cellphones, two plasma-screen televisions and other valuable items, locked the family in the main bedroom and fled.
"The father wriggled free and called for help."
Second attack on estate
Captain Barend Brits of Kameeldrift police station said the couple were still badly shocked on Tuesday morning.
"We offered them counselling, but they said they would find someone professional themselves."
Another couple was attacked by five robbers in their home on the estate in December last year.
They had managed to keep their bedroom door closed for long enough until their neighbour came to their rescue with his shotgun.
New Zealand Herald Newspaper
Murder numbers lowest for 10 years
5:00AM Wednesday April 02, 2008
By Beck Vass
Police statistics issued yesterday show there were 45 murders last year - a fact which Police Minister Annette King says goes against perceptions that New Zealand has become a more dangerous place to live.
"Last year there were 45 murders - fewer than for a decade," Ms King said.
"That's still too many, as far as I am concerned, but murders are not out of control, as some would suggest. In terms of violent crime, the real tragedy for our society continues to be domestic violence."
Overall crime has risen by 2246 offences, but Ms King congratulated police for resolving 9539 more crimes than they did in 2006.
Although there were fewer murders, violent offences - which include robbery and serious assaults - increased by the greatest proportion of all crime categories, up by 6252 offences (12.3 per cent).
Grievous assaults rose by 715 offences, minor assaults by 1321 and serious assaults by 2894.
Group assemblies increased by 119 offences and intimidation and threats by 1410.
Nationally, there were 426,380 recorded offences - almost one crime for every 10 New Zealanders.
This amounts to an increase of 0.5 per cent, but Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls said that when New Zealand's rising population was taken into account, crime had dropped by 0.5 per cent.
The crimes affecting most citizens continue to be dishonesty offences such as burglary and car thefts.
Dishonesty offending accounted for 52.7 per cent of all crime with 224,702 reports - down 12,132 on 2006.
Mr Nicholls said family violence was recorded in several different ways but overall, it had increased by 24.3 per cent and was largely behind the overall increase in violence. Drugs and antisocial behaviour increased by 4059 offences, which police were largely blaming on liquor ban breaches. Reports of property damage increased by 4163 offences.
Mr Nicholls said this category had been increasing rapidly since 2004, mainly because of graffiti.
The increase in violence has prompted Police Association president Greg O'Connor to call for more officers to be deployed on the beat before there were more victims.
"There is a lot of good work being done by police round the country, and excellent results being achieved in most areas," he said.
"But violence is clearly our biggest problem so primary response policing should be our biggest priority.
"Otherwise, the official 2008 statistics will simply record New Zealand's further slide into violence and disorder."
