GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

There are a number of factors which contribute to victimisation. It needs to be determined whether some of these contribute to people's risk of victimisation and could prevent people from being victimised. Knowing when, where and how crimes are likely to occur, plays an important role in designing effective, targeted crime prevention strategies, with limited resources. The survey attempted to establish when most crimes occur in Cape Town: during the week or over the weekend, and at what time of day. It also considered where crimes mostly occur, and what the victims were doing at the time of a crime. Whether the victims were alone or in a group, was regarded as a factor in determining victimisation, as well as victims' familiarity with their offenders. The survey also raised questions about the kinds of weapons (if any) that were used in crimes.

By asking these questions and attempting to establish who is the most at risk, proactive interventions to prevent repeat victimisation, as well as the provision of pointers for proactive crime prevention initiatives, may be determined.

TIMES WHEN CRIMES OCCURRED

Victims of particular crime types were asked when their most recent experience of a particular crime occurred, to determine their incidence during the week and over weekends. It should be noted that an inability to recall events accurately may play a key role in whether people remember the day and time when a crime happened to them.

According to victims, most crime in Cape Town occurs over the weekend (61 per cent) and is more likely to occur during the afternoon and after dark. These patterns, however, differ significantly across crime types.

Figure 11: Crime occurence - weekday or weekend


Violent crimes, such as murder, assault and robbery, are far more likely to occur over the weekend which includes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. According to the survey, many of these crimes also occur while people are participating in entertainment, recreation or visiting friends and family, activities which people are more likely to do over a weekend. Property crimes, such as burglary and vehicle theft, happen more often during the week. Since most people are at work during the week and away from their homes during the day, they are more vulnerable to being burgled. The survey findings confirm this, with 60 per cent of those who are employed likely to be burgled during the week. This explanation applies less to car theft, however, since a large proportion of cars are stolen from the streets outside offices and shops during the week.

Violent crimes

Africans are the most likely to be robbed or mugged over the weekend, while coloured people and whites are equally at risk of being robbed or mugged over the weekend or during the week. Coloured people and Africans are far more likely than whites to be assaulted over the weekend than during the week, whereas those living in the former white suburbs have a greater chance of being assaulted on a weekday than assault victims in other areas. Across the metropolitan area, murders are more likely to be committed over the weekend. Since the majority of murders happen when people are at home, in the streets of residential areas or at places of entertainment, this is more likely to be the case over a weekend.

Property crimes

Most burglaries occur during the week. Africans and coloured people are more likely to be victims of burglary during the week, while whites and those living in the former white suburbs are victimised fairly evenly during the week and over weekends.

The chances of having one's vehicle stolen are marginally greater during the week than over the weekend. Whites and those living in the former white suburbs are more likely to have their cars stolen on a weekday, while Africans and those living in informal areas are more likely to have cars stolen over the weekend. Vehicle theft is the one crime type where cars are at risk of being stolen evenly throughout the day and night. This type of crime is more opportunistic than burglary, for instance, and therefore the pattern is more random. While most cars were stolen from people's driveways, garages or gardens (41,4 per cent), these crimes also occurred in public parking lots (21 per cent), in the streets of residential areas (16,7 per cent), and in built-up shopping areas (9,9 per cent) - places people frequent throughout the day and night.

Sexual crimes

Almost half of the sexual assault incidents took place over weekends. Since most sexual assault victims are victimised in their own homes (44 per cent), and in all likelihood by people they know (in 43 per cent of cases, victims knew the name of the offenders), it makes sense that they are equally at risk during the week and over weekends. While the majority of these incidents occurred at night (83 per cent), a substantial proportion (38 per cent) occurred during daylight hours. That women are also significantly at risk of sexual assault during the day may necessitate public awareness programmes that highlight the fact that the risk of sexual assault is serious at any time of the day or night.

WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED

Respondents were asked across crime type where the incident occurred. Possible locations ranged from the public to the private realm: in the streets of residential areas, at public transport facilities, places of entertainment, in the workplace and in domestic environments.

Figure 12: Place of incident - violent crimes

Violent crimes

Most violent crimes, such as assault and murder, occur in the streets of residential areas.

Victims of assault, especially coloured men, are the most likely to be victimised in the streets of residential areas (19,2 per cent). The next most common place for assaults is in one's home (18,6 per cent), which is where women, in particular, are most at risk. This points towards domestic violence which the survey attempted to capture by asking victims what their relationship with the offender was. Of female assault victims, 61 per cent knew their offenders by name and were the most at risk of being assaulted when at home.

Victims of murder are apparently murdered mainly while at home (20,6 per cent), followed by residential streets (18,7 per cent), places of entertainment (16,8 per cent), and in other people's homes (15,4 per cent). While the numbers are small, whites are the most likely to be murdered at home, with Africans the most at risk in a place of entertainment and coloured people in the streets of residential areas. Women are far more likely to be murdered at home (27,6 per cent), followed by a place of entertainment (19 per cent), while male victims of murder are the most likely to be murdered in the street of a residential area (24,5 per cent), followed by someone else's home (20,4 per cent).

Property crimes

Violent property crimes, such as robbery or mugging, occur mostly in the streets outside offices and shops (24,3 per cent), and in the streets of residential areas (21,2 per cent). People are also at risk of robbery or mugging at public transport facilities (14 per cent), and on public transport (13,5 per cent). Whites are the most likely to be robbed or mugged in the streets outside shops or offices (46,5 per cent), followed by public transport facilities (16,3 per cent). Coloured people (25,4 per cent) and Africans (24,4 per cent) are the most likely to be robbed or mugged in the streets of residential areas. Survey findings confirm that the former white suburbs are safer than African and coloured residential areas.

Travelling on public transport is the second most likely place for Africans to be victimised (15,6 per cent) and the third most likely place for coloured people (16,4 per cent), after the streets outside shops or offices (21,6 per cent). This suggests that there are concrete possibilities for intervention. Being at risk of robbery or mugging in particular places raises the fear of crime, as is seen by whites who are the most likely of all the groups to be fearful of crime in the central business district (CBD) and at public transport facilities. Since one is most at risk of robbery or mugging when going to or from shopping (20,7 per cent), followed by visiting friends or relatives (15,2 per cent), and going to work or school (11,5 per cent), it can be assumed that one of the factors that determines where crimes occur, is whether victims are alone or in a group. Victims of robbery or mugging were mostly alone when they were robbed. Men between the ages of 21 and 35 years are the most likely to be robbed or mugged in the streets of residential areas (26,8 per cent), or outside shops or offices (24,6 per cent). Women are the most likely to be victimised in the streets outside shops, but are far more at risk than men at both public transport facilities (20,5 per cent) and while travelling on public transport (21,7 per cent). In both cases, women, especially those alone, could possibly be seen as 'soft targets'.

While the numbers are small, vehicle hijackings mostly occurred at intersections (48,6 per cent) and in victims' driveways (22,9 per cent). Of the victims of hijacking (both attempted and successful), 77,8 per cent were drivers, either commercial (including drivers of public transport), or were drivers commuting in private transport, rather than being passengers, when they were attacked.

The largest proportion (41,4 per cent) of car theft victims reported that the crimes happened near or at their homes, and cars were mostly stolen from their driveways or garages. Cars were also stolen from public parking lots (21 per cent) and in the streets of residential areas (16,7 per cent). Women were more likely to have had cars stolen in their driveways (43,7 per cent), compared to men who were more likely to have their cars stolen in the streets outside shops.

Sexual assault is usually portrayed as a street crime, taking place in dark alleys, parking lots or parks. The survey, however, exposes the reality and extent of sexual assault within the private domain. Forty-four per cent of sexual assault incidents occurred in the victim's home, with the next most prevalent area of attacks being the streets of residential areas (16 per cent), followed by someone else's home, open spaces and other areas. More attacks thus occur in the private rather than in the public realm as is commonly perceived. That 43 per cent of sexual assault victims knew the offender by name probably points to domestic violence. African women were the most likely to be attacked going to or returning from shopping areas (50 per cent). This may suggest that different races are more vulnerable or exposed to certain types of crime due to lifestyle patterns. Over 60 per cent of coloured women were either at home or visiting friends, and 83 per cent of white women were either at home or engaged in a recreational activity. It is of great concern that half of the women across the city between the ages of 21 and 35 years were sexually assaulted in their homes.

The two most likely places for respondents to experience sexual harassment were the workplace (34 per cent) and the home (19 per cent). Of the white respondents interviewed, the majority of incidents (75 per cent) took place at work, school, university or technikon, while African respondents were more likely to experience harassment in their homes (34 per cent). Coloured respondents were more likely to experience it while visiting friends or relatives (31 per cent). Respondents between the ages of 16 and 20 years were the most likely to be harassed when engaging in some sort of recreational activity, and respondents between the ages of 21 and 35 years were the most likely to be harassed at home or while visiting friends or relatives (as were respondents between the ages of 36 and 60 years). These findings challenge general public perceptions that sexual harassment primarily takes place at work. Victims of sexual harassment are vulnerable to intimidating behaviour on the street, among friends and even in their own homes.

Figure 13: Place of incident - secual crimes

WHAT VICTIMS WERE DOING WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED

Victims were asked what they were doing when the incidents occurred. The types of activities that people engage in may expose them to greater risk of becoming victims of particular crime types.

In general, victims of violent crimes such as assault and murder, are the most at risk when engaged in entertainment. As such, people may be the most at risk when they least expect to be.

Figure 14: What victims were doing - violent crimes



Of robbery or mugging victims, 20,7 per cent were attacked when going to or from shopping, with whites (41,5 per cent) particularly at risk when engaging in this activity, as well as when engaged in entertainment (19,5 per cent). Coloured people and Africans of all ages are the most likely to be robbed or mugged when coming home from work or school.

Victims of assault are the most at risk when engaged in recreation or entertainment (25,7 per cent), or while visiting friends and relatives (22,2 per cent). Whites and coloured people are the most likely to be assaulted when engaged in recreation, and Africans while visiting friends and relatives. Men, especially in the younger age groups, are the most at risk when engaged in recreation or entertainment (32,7 per cent) and while visiting friends and relatives (21,4 per cent).

Murder victims, especially Africans and women, were the most likely to be engaged in recreation or entertainment (29,8 per cent), or visiting friends or relatives (28,8 per cent) when the murder occurred. This correlates with the finding that as 61,7 per cent of murder victims were in a group at the time of the incident. Of the rest, 18,3 per cent of victims were at home and 12,5 per cent were coming home from work or school. Women were significantly more at risk than men of being murdered when coming home from work or school, and 69 per cent were alone when the murder was committed.

Property crimes

Vehicles are the most likely to be stolen while victims are at home (46,1 per cent) which corresponds with the finding that most cars are stolen from driveways, gardens or garages, followed by going to work or school (15,1 per cent), or going to or from a shopping area (13,2 per cent). All races are the most at risk of having their vehicles stolen while at home. After 'home', whites are also at risk while at work or school (21,7 per cent), and 21,8 per cent of coloured people had a vehicle stolen while going to or returning from a shopping area. This is explained by the fact that 30,4 per cent of coloured victims had cars stolen in public parking lots.

Forty-four per cent of sexual assault victims were at home and 27 per cent were visiting friends when the incidents happened. The majority of coloured women (60 per cent) were either at home or visiting friends, and 83 per cent of white women were either at home or engaged in a recreational activity. Over half of the female victims between the ages of 21 and 35 years were sexually assaulted in their homes.

Coloured respondents are more likely to experience sexual harassment when visiting friends or relatives (31 per cent). Victims between the ages of 16 and 20 years are the most likely to be harassed when engaged in some sort of recreational activity, and respondents between the ages of 21 and 35 years are the most likely to be harassed at home or while visiting friends or relatives (as are respondents between 36 and 60 years old). These findings challenge general public perceptions that sexual harassment primarily takes place at work. Victims of sexual harassment are vulnerable to intimidating behaviour on the street, among friends and even in their homes. In addition, like other forms of life threatening or violent behaviour, sexual harassment in the workplace raises concerns (particularly for women) about physical safety, as well as about employment or economic safety.

Figure 15: What victims were doing - sexual crimes

PART OF A GROUP OR ALONE WHEN VICTIMISED

Respondents were asked whether they were alone or in a group when the incident occurred.

Figure 16: Whether victims were alone or in a group when the crime occurred - violent crimes



Except for murder, the majority of victims of violent crimes (57 per cent) and sexual offences were alone when the incidents happened. Of murder victims, 61,7 per cent were in a group at the time of the incident, which is confirmed by the data, that most murders occur while people are engaged in recreation or entertainment. Women are more likely to be alone when assaulted and to know their offenders. At the time of a robbery or mugging, a crime which occurs mostly in the streets of residential areas, 69,1 per cent of men were alone. People are more likely to be alone in the street when victimised by crime, while in a home, a place of entertainment or someone else's home, people are more likely to be part of a group.

Contrary to the generally held perception of 'safety in numbers', it was found that 60 per cent of African women who were sexually assaulted, were in a group when the incident occurred. Because only one third of the African sample were sexually assaulted by more than one offender, it is assumed that the remaining women were initially in a group, but taken alone when sexually assaulted. In 45 per cent of the cases of sexual assault, there was only one attacker. More than one attacker participated in 55 per cent of the incidents, and in 32 per cent of these incidents there were two offenders. This is not entirely consistent with the statistics compiled by Rape Crisis counsellors (over the period 1994-1997) which indicated that roughly 70 per cent of rape cases involved one perpetrator and 30 per cent involved more than one. Possibly, cases involving more than one attacker are more likely to be reported to the survey, while domestic cases (which are likely to be committed by only one person) may not. When asked whether the incident was gang-related, 60 per cent of the women did not believe this was the case, 20 per cent believed it was and 20 per cent did not know.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VICTIM AND OFFENDER

Victims of crime were asked to describe whether the offender was not known to them, known by sight only, or known by name.

Figure 17: Relationship between victim and offender

Violent crimes

Other than assault, the majority of victims of murder and sexual crimes knew their attackers by name. This indicates an intimate relationship and raises a number of questions regarding the successful investigations of such crimes. Across crime types, most white victims (79,2 per cent) did not know their attackers. By contrast, 50 per cent of Africans, 55 per cent of coloured victims, and half of all the murder victims knew their attackers by name.

Sexual crimes

Victims of sexual assault were asked whether they knew the offenders by name or sight. In 43 per cent of cases, victims knew them by name, in 20 per cent of cases the victims knew them by sight, and 37 per cent did not know them at all. Since the majority of sexual assaults take place in the home, this is not surprising. Of white female victims, 80 per cent did not know their offenders, while 50 per cent of coloured women did. There was an equal distribution across the three categories for African women. Research done at Rape Crisis in Khayelitsha also found that all the offenders lived within the same community as the participants in the study, and that, in one third of the cases, the offender was known to the participant.34

In 67 per cent of the cases where the victims knew the offenders, regarded them as 'friends'. For African and white women who knew their offenders, every one of them reported them as being friends. The respondents, however, did not disclose rape or attempted rape committed by husbands, boyfriends or lovers, discounting the issue of multiple or ongoing victimisation. It is difficult, however, to draw definitive conclusions about victim-offender relationships. The fact that the results of this survey show that sexual assault occurs between people who know each other by name or sight, should not conceal the reality that many incidents of sexual assault are also committed by strangers.

Sexual harassment

In 31 per cent of the cases, the victims did not know the offenders, in 18 per cent of the cases the victims knew them by sight, and a sizeable proportion of women (51 per cent) knew them by name. In 65 per cent of the sexual harassment incidents committed against coloured respondents, the respondents knew the offenders by name, while 46 per cent of African respondents did not know their offenders at all. In 46 per cent of the cases where victims knew the offenders, the victims were friends with them. For African respondents who knew the offenders, 50 per cent stated that they were uncles, nephews or other male family members, while in 50 per cent of the cases of sexual harassment of white and coloured respondents, the offenders were friends of the victims.

WEAPONS USED IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES

Respondents were asked what weapons were visible or were used during crime incidents.

Across crime types in Cape Town, a knife is the weapon which is the most likely to be used (30 per cent), followed by physical strength (21 per cent), a gun (21 per cent), an axe, stick or panga (5 per cent) and other weapons (5 per cent). In 18 per cent of the incidents, no weapons were used. Knives were the most frequently used in muggings or robberies (46,4 per cent), followed by assaults (39,3 per cent) and sexual assaults (25,8 per cent). Guns were used in murders (46,4 per cent), followed by robberies or muggings (44,1 per cent). Physical strength was mostly used in sexual assaults (48,4 per cent).

Figure 18: Weapons used by crime type

Violent crimes

Weapons were visible in all assaults reported by victims. Forty-five per cent of African and 40 per cent of coloured victims had knives used against them, while whites were mainly assaulted with physical strength. Knives were also the most frequently used to rob and mug victims in Cape Town (44 per cent), followed by guns (20,7 per cent) and physical strength (19,8 per cent). Following knives, coloured people were likely to be robbed or mugged with physical strength (23 per cent), while Africans were more likely to have guns used against them (28,9 per cent). In 46 per cent of murders, guns were used, followed by knives (36 per cent). White and coloured victims are the most likely to be murdered with guns, while Africans are slightly more likely to be murdered with knives.

Weapons were used in about 94 per cent of all the cases of sexual assault. After physical strength, knives were the next most prevalent weapon used against women (26 per cent), with the use of guns following at 13 per cent. While other statistics35 show that the majority of women who have been sexually assaulted, do not sustain physical injuries, the results of this survey - which show a high incidence of weapons used during sexual assaults - may explain this phenomenon. The presence of a weapon or the threat of the use of a weapon by the perpetrator to inflict injury or cause loss of life, may explain why women very often do not 'fight back' and thus do not sustain injuries. The experience of sexual assault for women is one of a life threatening event rather than that of a sexual nature. While the survey did not ask specifically what other types of assault occurred during the incident (physical, psychological), 73 per cent of the women did report that they sustained injuries during the assault. Roughly 50 per cent of the women sustained injuries during incidents of rape, 13 per cent during attempted rapes, 19 per cent during indecent assaults, 3 per cent as a result of offensive behaviour and 16 per cent did not know or could not remember whether they had reported the crime.

Property crimes

Because of the nature of burglary as a property crime, respondents who had been present when their homes were burgled, were the most likely not to have seen a weapon. However, in 18,9 per cent of the case, knives were visible, and guns in 15,8 per cent of cases.