According to South Africa's Parliament's Portfolio Committe on Police, is concerned about the high number of statutory rape cases withdrawn over the past five years, calling for stronger interventions to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. More than 1800 statutory rape cases were withdrawn between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 financial years. Some of the factors contributiing to this withdrawal of cases, including harmful cultural beliefs, social and economic pressures, barriers to reporting, fear of victimisation and stigmatisation. To talk to us further on this,  we spoke to General Manager Operations at TEARS Foundation Celeste Louw

<p>According to South Africa's Parliament's Portfolio Committe on Police, is concerned about the high number of statutory rape cases withdrawn over the past five years, calling for stronger interventions to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. More than 1800 statutory rape cases were withdrawn between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 financial years. Some of the factors contributiing to this withdrawal of cases, including harmful cultural beliefs, social and economic pressures, barriers to reporting, fear of victimisation and stigmatisation. To talk to us further on this,&nbsp; we spoke to General Manager Operations at TEARS Foundation Celeste Louw</p>