Circumstances, policing, and attrition of multiple compared to single perpetrator rape cases within the South African criminal justice system

Machisa, Mercilene Tanyaradzwa; Jina, Ruxana; Labuschagne, Gerard; Vetten, Lisa; Loots, Lizle; Jewkes, Rachel

doi:10.1186/s40163-023-00191-6

Table 3 Victim reporting and adherence to Directives in MPRs and SPRs

From: Circumstances, policing, and attrition of multiple compared to single perpetrator rape cases within the South African criminal justice system

	SPR			MPR			Total
	N	Pr	%	N	Pr	%	N	%	X²	P-value for Chi-square test
Time to reporting
More than 4 days (96 h)	450	1.44	13.7	57	− 3.17	8.5	507	12.8	17.2	< 0.001
Less than 4 days (96 h)	2388	− 0.20	72.9	503	0.45	74.6	2891	73.2
Missing time to reporting	440	− 0.91	13.4	114	2.01	16.9	554	14.0
First report witness relationship to the victim
Police officer	579	− 0.75	17.3	137	1.69	19.5	716	17.7	60.3	< 0.001
Friend	412	0.20	12.6	77	− 0.44	11.5	489	12.4
Family member	1398	1.71	42.6	203	− 3.83	30.8	1601	40.7
Husband or boyfriend	145	− 1.81	4.3	57	4.06	8.7	202	5.0
Doctor	18	− 0.79	0.4	8	1.78	1.2	26	0.6
Stranger	129	− 1.60	4	49	3.59	8.1	178	4.7
Other	597	− 0.05	18.8	120	0.11	20.2	717	19.0
Victim action soon after rape (N = 173 missing)
Reported immediately to the police or clinic	884	1.84	27.9	118	− 4.05	19.3	1002	26.5	25.6	< 0.001
Got a friend or relative to accompany them to police or clinic	1516	0.29	47.8	298	− 0.65	48.9	1814	48.0
Delayed/did other things before reporting	769	− 1.05	24.3	194	2.33	31.8	963	25.5
Handwritten victim statement taken/available
No	276	− 2.06	8.7	100	4.53	16.2	376	9.9	27.1	< 0.001
Yes	3002	0.61	91.3	574	− 1.36	83.8	3576	90.1
First report statement taken/available
No	504	− 1.17	15.9	113	2.58	18	617	16.2	9.5	0.002
Yes	2774	0.51	84.1	538	− 1.13	82	3312	83.8
Witness statements taken/available
No witnesses	2516	0.44	77.1	491	− 0.96	75.2	3007	76.1	4.7	0.1
Witness available statement not taken	135	− 0.30	4.2	32	0.66	4.8	167	4.2
Witness available statement taken	627	− 0.72	18.7	151	1.59	19.9	778	19.7
Itemised phone bill subpoenaed by investigators
Phone stolen; billing requested	194	− 0.25	73.76	141	0.30	77.05	335	75.1	0.62	0.43
Phone stolen; no billing requested	69	0.43	26.24	42	− 0.52	22.95	111	24.9
Investigator visited the crime scene
No	1545	0.02	47.3	317	− 0.03	47.8	1862	47.4	0.002	0.962
Yes	1733	− 0.01	52.7	357	0.03	52.2	2090	52.6
Sexual assault evidence kit (SAECK) completed
No SAECK	665	0.91	21.1	109	− 2.00	16.2	774	20.3	13.7	0.003
SAECK completed in 96 h	2058	− 0.78	61.5	466	1.71	68.4	2524	62.7
SAECK completed over 96 h	262	0.94	8.2	36	− 2.08	5.1	298	7.7
SAECK completion time not available	293	− 0.13	9.2	63	0.30	10.3	356	9.4
Acknowledgment of receipt of exhibit by FSL
No exhibit submitted	1,402	1.52	42.77	211	− 3.42	32.46	1,613	41.1	24.3	< 0.001
No receipt available	912	− 0.69	27.82	206	1.54	31.69	1,118	28.5
Receipt from FSL	964	− 1.10	29.41	233	2.48	35.85	1,197	30.5
Police closed case before referring for prosecution
No	2219	1.73	66.7	360	− 3.81	54.8	2579	64.7	50.29	< 0.001
Yes	1059	− 2.37	33.3	314	5.21	45.2	1373	35.3
Reasons given for police closing cases
Case not closed	2219	1.73	66.7	360	− 3.81	54.8	2579	65.3	113.7	< 0.001
Case closed for victim reasons only including victim withdrawal	415	1.15	14	58	− 2.53	8.6	473	12.0
Case closed due to undetected perpetrators only	598	− 3.30	17.8	277	7.28	31.7	825	20.9
Case closed due to victim and perpetrator reasons	46	− 2.05	1.6	29	4.53	4.9	75	1.9

Reference values: Chi(1) = 3.84; Chi(2) = 5.99; Chi(3) = 7.82; Chi(4) = 9.49; Chi(5) = 11.07; Chi(6) = 12.59

Back to article page

ISSN: 2193-7680

Contact us

General enquiries: journalsubmissions@springernature.com

Crime Science

Contact us