As Youth Month draws to a close, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) releases a distressing report on the prevalence of sexual violence in schools. The report reveals the staggering pervasiveness of sexual violence in schools. Schools are intended to be safe spaces for learning, development, and the realisation of the right to basic education. When learners are subjected to sexual abuse – whether by educators, peers, staff members, service providers, or external actors – the state’s constitutional duties to respect, protect, promote and fulfil rights are directly implicated.

The release of this report follows receipt of a formal human rights complaint alleging sexual violence by an educator at St John’s College in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. Subsequent media reports and additional allegations underscored that the incident was not isolated but indicative of a broader systemic problem. To this end, the SAHRC convened a Stakeholder Roundtable on Sexual Violence in Schools. The Roundtable brought together key state institutions, regulatory bodies, independent school associations, and civil society partners to (i) map the institutional ecosystem responsible for preventing, investigating, prosecuting, and regulating sexual offences in schools; (ii) identify legislative, regulatory, reporting, and implementation gaps; and (ii) develop collaborative pathways to prevent siloed responses and strengthen safeguarding mechanisms.

Report by the South African Human Rights Commission