GBH tops EC crime statistics

You are likely to get a pounding in Eastern Cape towns and villages as the provincial statistics reveal that the most reported type of crime in the province is assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).

The statistics were released by provincial police crime registrar Brigadier Andre Krause at the SAPS headquarters in Zwelitsha. The event was attended by MEC for safety & liaison Weziwe Tikana, legislature safety & liaison portfolio chair Michael Peter and senior police officers.

Krause said the top six crimes in the province, in order of prevalence, were:

● Assault GBH;

● Robbery with aggravating circumstances;

● Common assault;

● Sexual offences;

● Murder; and

● Attempted murder. Some 23,133 assault GBH cases were reported in the province’s 196 police stations in the current financial year.

Incidence is down by 0.5% from the 23,241 cases in the 2016-17 financial year.

Robbery with aggravated circumstances was reported 13,485 times, down by 1.5% from last year’s 13,688.

Common assault was reported 1,171 times, a little up from the previous year’s 1,100.

Sexual offences were up 0.5%, with 8,094 cases reported compared to the previous year’s 8,050.

But murder was up 5.2%, with 3,815 reported this year compared to last year’s 3,628.

There were 3,707 common robberies compared to last year’s 3,463, and 2,232 cases of attempted murder compared to last year’s 2,110 cases.

Murder was up 5,2%, with 3,815 reported this year