One year, 26 800 child sex abuse cases: SAHRC flags vetting of non- teaching staff

In a recent report, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) flagged a deeplyconcerning trend, revealing that thousands of sexual violence incidents are occurring within thecountry's schools. According to data compiled by the commission, more than 26,800 cases ofsexual abuse were officially recorded in just a single year. The SAHRC pointed to a widespreadlack of strict vetting procedures for school personnel as one of the primary contributing factorsdriving this crisis.The report specifically highlights a dangerous regulatory loophole regarding non-teaching staff.Individuals working closely with students—including sports coaches, facilitators, classroomassistants, and participants in youth employment schemes—do not fall uniformly under standardeducator regulatory structures. Consequently, many of these employees are not subjected to thesame rigorous background checks as qualified teachers.This oversight creates a severe safety risk, meaning that individuals are granted direct access tochildren without first being formally screened against criminal registries or sex offender records.The SAHRC emphasizes that standardizing and enforcing strict vetting protocols   Tshepo Madlingozi - SAHRC Commissioner Matakanye Matakanya, General Secretary of the National Association ofSchool Governing Bodies Mfundo Ntandane, Social Worker & Mental Health ActivistSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.