Free State sees decrease in farm attacks
According to statistics on murders and violent crimes on farms in the Free State, recorded by the VKB/FSA Safety Desk for the year up to now, there has been a decrease in murders and farm attacks. Farmers, however, need to remain vigilant and Free State Agriculture (FSA) suggests that farmers take a look at the safety tips that they share on their website and ensure that they are a member of the local farm safety structure.
2allmankind via pixabay
We would like to share the statistics form 1 January until 14 December 2016. Farm attacks and murders are recorded on the database in terms of the Police’s definition of such incidents and every incident noted on the database has a registered SAPS case number.
• Up until now, 57 attacks and seven murders have been recorded on farms in the Free State for 2016. A total of five murders were on farm workers (Bultfontein, two at Harrismith, Kroonstad, and Thaba Nchu) and two on farmers (Rouxville and Cornelia/Ascent). Most of the incidents, 25, took place in the northern Free State, followed by the southern and eastern Free State with 18 and 14 attacks respectively. For the following towns, two or more attacks were recorded; Bloemfontein (6); Ficksburg, Clocolan, Cornelia and Harrismith (3 each), Boithuso, Brandfort, Bultfontein, Heilbron, Kroonstad, Ladybrand, Vierfontein and Welkom (2 each). Farm attacks have been reported at 40 towns in the Free State this year.
• A total of 26 of the 57 attacks were on workers or upcoming farmers. Altogether 37 of the attacks were house or armed robberies that included other crimes as well. In 13 incidents charges of attempted murder are being investigated.
• Most of the incidents occurred on a Saturday (13), followed by Fridays (10) and Wednesdays (9). Two-thirds of the attacks were recorded between Wednesdays and Saturdays.
• Altogether 38,6 % (22) of the attacks took place during the day (6am-6pm), and 61,4% at night (6pm-6am) - 19 before midnight and 16 in the early hours of the morning.
• During 14 attacks two victims were attacked, while victims were attacked/robbed by three to five attackers during seven attacks.
• A total of 40 of the 88 victims for the year were older than 50 - 15 were between 60-69 years old, 14 were between 50-59 years old and 11 were between 70-79 years old.
• During 17 attacks two attackers were involved, and in 29 incidents between three and six attackers were involved. A total of 80,7% of the attacks (46) were carried out by between two and five attackers, with offenders using firearms in 27 attacks.
• In 18 attacks the attackers used vehicles to travel to the farm and/or to flee the scene (also including the victim’s vehicle in some cases).
• Cell phones, cash, and firearms, are the most sought after items during house robberies on farms/smallholdings.
• In 15 of the attacks, suspects were arrested by means of cooperation between the SAPS and farmers.
• Altogether 14 attacks took place due to negligence on the side of the victim (leaving doors unlocked, no burglar bars, investigating why dogs are barking/when hearing strange noises outside.)
During the same period in 2015, 66 attacks that included 11 murders, were recorded in the Free State. These numbers differ from the numbers released in January 2016, as some of the cases of murders of farm workers – that were initially registered as murders on farms – have been changed to cases of murder/incidents in terms of domestic violence or alcohol abuse. A significant decrease can be observed in terms of farm attacks and murders when the numbers for 2016 are compared to the numbers for 2015. This can mainly be attributed to good cooperation and relationships between farmers and the SAPS from local to provincial level.
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