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The civil rights organization Action Society has accused the government of effectively protecting convicted sex offenders by keeping the national sex offender registry secret from the public.
As long as the registry is kept secret, cases of child abuse and rape languish in the courts for years, leaving communities vulnerable and repeatedly traumatizing victims.
According to Action Society, this week’s court appearances once again show a disturbing pattern. Moreover, children who have already had to endure the trauma of rape and sexual abuse are forced to wait while their cases are repeatedly postponed, delayed or even removed from the court roll.
The combination of secrecy surrounding the national register for sex offenders and a legal system that fails to prioritize crimes against children is unacceptable, according to the organisation.
‘Justice that delays is a failure’
Kaylynn Palm, head of Action Society’s Western Cape action centre, says the current system is failing the very people it is supposed to protect.
Archive photo for illustration purposes only, (Photo: Unsplash)
“Every time these cases are postponed, the system sends a message to victims that their suffering can wait.
“Justice delayed in cases involving children is not simply a minor administrative problem; it is a failure to protect the most vulnerable members of our society,” says Palm.
She believes the secrecy surrounding the register raises serious questions about the government’s priorities and the safety of South Africans.
“The government continues to hide the identity of convicted sex offenders, while communities are expected to simply trust that the system will protect them.
“At the same time, we see how the same perpetrators repeatedly commit new crimes against children. Transparency around the register is not about punishment, it’s about prevention,” she emphasizes.
Business is slow in the Western Cape
According to Palm, the case of a nine-year-old girl from Hanover Park was recently postponed again in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
“She was allegedly raped by a man who lured her to his house in May 2025. This man was already convicted in 2008 of the rape and indecent assault of a ten-year-old child and was on parole at the time of the incident.”
“Although it was decided in February that he should be sent for observation, there was no progress by March 4 and the case was postponed until April 9.”
Palm emphasized that such observations often delay cases by as much as a year.
“In addition, a 15-year-old girl who was raped by her mother’s ex-husband for years has had her case in the Mitchells Plain Sexual Offenses Court temporarily removed from the roll until she is ready to proceed.”
She says in the meantime the case against a so-called “spiritual crime prevention leader” in the Parow regional court has also stalled.
“The pastor is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl under the guise of worship. The case has been postponed until April 21 due to a water crisis and a bad smell in the courthouse.”
Violence against women continues
The fight for justice for murdered women also continues. The case against the man who doused Angela Koopman (41) with petrol and set her on fire two years ago was adjourned in the Mitchells Plain Regional Court until 4 April.
“Koopman died of her injuries in March 2024 after suffering burns over 70% of her body.”
In the case of Micha Renge, who was allegedly strangled by her ex with a belt, the verdict on bail in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court was postponed until 26 March.
There is progress in the murder case of Chanelle Plaatjies, whose body was found in a shallow grave near Paarl in June 2025. This case has now been transferred to the Western Cape High Court for a preliminary hearing on 15 May.
Finally, the family of Sheri-Ann Jacobs is still waiting for answers. Her death in 2021 was initially treated as a suicide, but forensic evidence now points to murder and a crime scene that was rigged.
However, her husband, Jacques Pretorius’ appearance in the Cape Town High Court was postponed until 12 June 2026 due to an overcrowded court roll.
Action Society maintains that these delays undermine public confidence in the justice system and that young victims are denied years of healing while they await justice.