Chapter 19

ASSAULT

Assault implies that the respondent was personally attacked or hurt. Weapons may or may not have been used. The motive of the incident was not to steal any property.



Between 1994 and 1998, serious assault with a firearm (intention to do grievous bodily harm) increased in South Africa from 210 250 to 234 056 reported incidents annually. Qualitative evidence suggests that a substantial proportion of these crimes are committed with firearms. However, further research is required to determine the role of firearms in serious assaults.



In this research, conclusions are drawn from 18 incidents analysed, which comprised 2.3% of the docket sample.



From the qualitative evidence collected, assaults usually occur in the evenings. Three of the assaults were linked to acts of domestic violence.



In this sample, 33.3% of assault incidents occurred in the inner city or central business district, 27.8% on private residential properties and 22.2% in places of entertainment or recreation.



The victim of the assault (77.8%) usually reported the crime to the police.



It was found that 50% of all assault incidents are undetected and 44.4% of complaints are withdrawn. There was only one guilty verdict (out of 18 cases), with the suspect receiving a jail sentence of between one and two years.



In the 18 assault incidents, 39 people were involved: 19 offenders, 19 victims and one intervening third party. In 72.2% of the incidents, victims and offenders did not know one another and in 22.2% of cases, they knew one another well.



In the 19 assault incidents, 20 firearms were involved. Of the firearms involved, 17 were held by offenders and two were involved by victims.



It was found that all the offenders were male. There was insufficient information to provide a valid profile of the race, age, vocation or employment status of offenders.



It was found that 57.9% of assault victims were male and 42.1% were female. There was insufficient information to provide a valid profile of the race, age, vocation or employment status of victims.



Of the firearms used by offenders, most were handguns, although one automatic rifle was used. Two victims had handguns.



One of the offenders was slightly injured and two victims were injured by firearms, of which one injury was fatal.



A few items were stolen as a result of the assault.