A seven-year-old child was sexually assaulted at her school in South Africa.
This should never have happened not in a country with constitutional protections for children, not in a system that promises early intervention, and not in a province with formal safeguarding structures.
But it did happen. And we need to be honest about why.
This child was not failed in isolation. She was failed by local systems that continue to underinvest in child protection, that leave schools without clear safeguarding protocols, and that do not act with urgency when red flags are raised.
She was also failed by international partners who withdrew critical funding without sufficient notice. When USAID issued its stop order, Joburg Child Welfare along with others in the sector, lost the ability to operate our post-violence care programme under PEPFAR support. The result: fewer medical assessments, delayed trauma counselling, and enormous pressure on our stretched teams.
And yet, we did not walk away.
Since the stop order came into effect, Joburg Child Welfare has used its own internal resources to ensure services continue across Johannesburg. In March alone:
• 376 survivors received post-violence support for emotional and physical abuse (up from 348 the previous month),
• 210 sexual violence cases were managed across our sites,
• 49 suspected sexual violence cases were referred for further medical or forensic investigation,
• 19 newly diagnosed individuals were linked to ART and HIV care,
• 69 medical reports were completed and referred to the Department of Social Development.
These are not just statistics. They represent children and families whose futures hang in the balance.
Despite constrained funding, we have taken bold steps to keep this safety net in place. In the past month, I met with the Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, and his Deputy Director-General to explore sustainable mechanisms to ensure continued emergency medical support and services for survivors of gender-based violence. We are seeking a coordinated response—not another siloed solution.
South Africa does not lack policy. We have some of the most progressive child protection legislation in the world. What we lack is accountability, coordination, and leadership.
International donors must also move beyond transactional relationships. Child protection is not a procurement line. When funding is pulled without consultation, the safety of real children collapses in real time.
We are calling on the Department of Social Development, the Department of Basic Education, the SAPS Family Violence Units, and our donor partners to re-centre the child. Not the budget. Not the process. The child.
At Joburg Child Welfare, our mission is clear:
We will continue to protect children.
We will continue to respond to abuse.
We will continue to speak up—even when it’s uncomfortable.
Because silence is complicity.
And children like the one assaulted at her school deserve better from all of us.
Abubakr Hattas CEO, Joburg Child Welfare