Broken systems, silent communities: Why child protection should be everyone's responsibility

CapeTalk’s Sara-Jayne Makwala King is joined by Dr Shaheeda Omar, Director of the Teddy Bear Clinic.

Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below.

As South Africa observes National Child Protection Week starting 29 May until 5 June, experts are calling for urgent attention to the country's deep-rooted child protection crisis.

The Teddy Bear Clinic plays a critical role in addressing this crisis. 

It offers comprehensive services for children who have suffered abuse, including medical and forensic examinations, legal support, and court preparation. 

The organisation also engages in community outreach and works to combat gender-based violence. 

Omar says crimes against children are alarmingly widespread and often go unreported.

"...on average, three children are murdered on a daily basis, and every five hours, a child goes missing, but these are the cases that are brought to the attention of the authorities. Unfortunately, there are many frequently under reported cases which we do not have any knowledge of."

 - Dr Shaheeda Omar, Director of the Teddy Bear Clinic

However, she adds, these numbers only reflect the tip of the iceberg. 

According to Omar, prosecution rates are also extremely low when it comes to crimes against children.

She points to systemic failures in law enforcement, the justice system, and social services that leave many victims without support or recourse.

"The systems are failing our children...instead of helping the children, they are being subjected to secondary harm and secondary trauma."

- Dr Shaheeda Omar, Director of the Teddy Bear Clinic

"Unfortunately, we just look at the capacity of our police force. They're under-capacitated, under-resourced, and lack specialised skills. So there's not adequate training and this actually creates huge challenges because when families and victims come and make reports, the response that are elicited are not timeous, not adequate, are not appropriate." 

- Dr Shaheeda Omar, Director of the Teddy Bear Clinic

She argues that protecting children requires more than government action, but demands collective responsibility.

"It takes a village to raise a child, and until we don't get that right, it's a whole of society effort. We talk about Child Protection Week, but it's child protection all the time. It's a 365-day campaign. Child protection is not my business, it's not your business, it's our business."

- Dr Shaheeda Omar, Director of the Teddy Bear Clinic

Omar emphasises that communities must become more engaged and vigilant, especially when there are signs of neglect or abuse. 

She explains that South Africa’s Children’s Act requires any suspicion of abuse to be reported, and anonymous reporting is possible to encourage public involvement.

"Home is supposed to be the place of hope and safety, and we're finding that the nearer we come to a familiar and safe environment, that is where children are being violated, and therefore it calls upon everybody else outside their homes to look out for each and every child." 

- Dr Shaheeda Omar, Director of the Teddy Bear Clinic

True child protection, Omar insists, means fostering a society where every adult sees themselves as a guardian of every child’s well-being.

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation