South Africa: Outrage and Protest Over the Rape of a 7-Year-Old Girl

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across South Africa on April 1, 2025, demanding justice after the rape of a 7-year-old girl inside her school. To date, no suspects have been arrested for the incident, which occurred last October. The case gained attention approximately two weeks ago when the victim’s mother revealed the details during a podcast, urging progress in the investigation. Last week, South African Police Minister Senzo Mthembu confirmed that authorities are investigating the case with utmost seriousness and have identified three suspects, including members of the school staff located in the Eastern Cape province. Over 2,000 people protested in Cape Town, while thousands more demonstrated in other major cities like Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Durban. “I have no trust in our judicial system; it always lets us down,” said Janine de Vos, a mother of two children, during the protest in Cape Town. With alarmingly high rates of sexual violence against women and children, few perpetrators face justice. According to the UN, one in three women in South Africa experience physical or sexual violence during their lifetime. Of the 42,500 reported rapes in 2023-2024, 17,100 involved children, yet only 449 cases were prosecuted. In a similar case, police announced the arrest of an educator accused of raping a 13-year-old student in the northern part of the country. Education Minister Sibongile Gumede stated that the government must ensure sexual offenders do not work in schools and should be registered in the national database of convicted sex offenders.