IPID records rise in alleged rape cases involving police officers

IPID recorded 332 gender-based violence and femicide cases involving police officers in 2025/26, with at least 72 cases of rape allegedly committed by officers while on duty. Lizzy Suping, IPID spokesperson, stated that 116 of these rape cases involved police officers. The recent arrest of suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya on charges including rape and human trafficking has heightened concerns. Most cases were reported in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Free State, Eastern Cape, and Northern Cape.