Criminals not being dealt with, people feel

MANY South Africans do not believe that criminals who have been found guilty are sent to prison, the Victims of Crime Survey has found.

“More than three quarters of households held the opinion that many people who are guilty were not sent to prison,” Statistician-General Pali Lehohla said yesterday.

The survey of about 30 000 households conducted last year found that 50.2% of South Africans held a negative view about correctional services, while 64.3% were satisfied with the police service and 59.2% were satisfied with the courts.

Lehohla said the fragmented status of the criminal justice system failed to inspire confidence in South Africans.

“The perception that the sentences passed were too lenient tended to tarnish the image of the courts. More than three quarters of households held the opinion that many people who were guilty were not sent to prison,” he said.

The study further revealed that the black African-headed households were less likely to be satisfied with the courts than households headed by other population groups.

Lehohla explained that the objective of crime statistics was to improve the justice system and help the public understand the links between the police, courts and correctional services.

According to the survey, perceptions of the criminal justice system varied according to geographical, population and gender groups.

“Households in metropolitan areas were less likely to be satisfied with courts. Households from high living standard measures (LSM) were more likely to be satisfied with the courts than those on lower LSMs, because they have the resources,” he said.

The study also revealed that households in non-metropolitan areas were more likely to be satisfied with police services than were households in metropolitan areas. However, perceptions also differed among population groups.

Coloured people were less likely to be satisfied with police services than were black African people, Lehohla said.

Households in traditional areas were more likely to be satisfied with police than were households in urban areas.

“Although the levels of satisfaction with the police were relatively high, there was a noticeable decrease in satisfaction with police services between levels recorded in 2011 when compared with 2013/14,” Lehohla said.

He said the findings of the survey emphasised the importance of restoring and maintaining public confidence in the SAPS, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and the Department of Correctional Services.