Parliament to start inquiry into statutory rape with view to recommend legislative changes to Sexual Offences Act

Parliament will on Friday start an inquiry into statutory rape, with the view to recommend legislative changes to the Sexual Offences Act, including mandatory reporting by teachers and nurses. 

The inquiry stems from a motion by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) originally tabled in the National Assembly in August last year,  and revived in July, after the five committees tasked with the job could not meet the March deadline to hold hearings.

On Friday, the portfolio committee on women, youth and persons with disabilities will start two days of engagements in Johannesburg to determine the prevalence of rape among young girls and the challenges in reporting such incidences and the accuracy of data. 

Other objectives of the hearings are to understand the requirements and challenges of mandatory reporting and to determine necessary measures to enforce this. 

Committee chairperson, Liezl van der Merwe, said the hearings would also serve to raise awareness. 

"As we know, South Africa is in the grip of a crime crisis, a gender-based violence crisis, as well as a crisis affecting our children, where the justice system is failing our children."

Next week, the committee will hold hearings in East London, before returning to Parliament for the second leg of the inquiry, where the focus will be on gathering input from relevant stakeholders on how to strengthen legislation. 

The committee aims to table its recommendations to the National Assembly by the end of November.

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