South Africa’s Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) has called for urgent child safeguarding measures in religious institutions amid rise in sexual abuse cases at churches across the country.
The call followed the recent conviction of a pastor accused of the rape and sexual abuse of 12 children in KwaZulu-Natal province.
The 59-year-old pastor was last month found guilty of nine counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, seven counts of sexual assault and seven counts of exposing children to pornography.
He was sentenced on 23 July to 10 life terms and 70 additional years by a provincial court.
The victims – 10 boys and two girls aged between seven and 14 – were lured to the pastor’s rented premises between 2020 and 2022 under the guise of spiritual guidance and assistance with household tasks.
The CGE, which monitored the case as part of its mandate to combat gender-based violence, welcomed the court’s decision not to deviate from the mandatory life sentences prescribed under the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
The commission noted recent convictions of self-proclaimed pastors in Limpopo, Free State, and North West provinces who were recently sentenced to life imprisonment for raping minors under the guise of spiritual authority.
“These matters underscore the urgent need for child safeguarding mechanisms in all institutions, particularly those led by individuals in positions of trust,” the CGE said, urging government and religious bodies to implement safeguards, training and oversight mechanisms.
It called for trauma-informed training for law enforcement and judicial officers and adequate resourcing of shelters and one-stop centres.
JN/APA