Action Society has raised the alarm about a growing cold case crisis in South Africa, warning that investigative neglect, forensic backlogs and poor oversight are allowing serious criminal cases to quietly stagnate while victims’ families are left without answers.
Over the past week the organisation has sent formal letters to senior leadership within the South African Police Service requesting urgent intervention in several serious criminal matters that appear to have stalled, including the murder of an elderly woman and cases involving the sexual assault of children.
According to Action Society, the cases illustrate a troubling pattern emerging across the country where investigations lose momentum, forensic processes break down and communication with victims’ families collapses. As months and years pass without meaningful progress, cases risk becoming effectively unsolved.
One of the matters escalated by Action Society involves the brutal murder of 87-year-old Ellen Malan, who was killed in her home in Tafelsig during the night of 27–28 September 2024. The case is registered under CAS 1109/09/2024 at Mitchells Plain SAPS.
More than a year later, the Malan family is still waiting for meaningful progress in the investigation. Previous feedback from police indicated that a DNA retake had been requested because the original samples did not yield usable results, while fingerprints recovered from the crime scene could not yet be linked to a suspect. The post-mortem report and crime scene photographs were also still outstanding at the time of the last formal update.
Despite follow-up requests for clarity, no further written feedback has been provided to the family regarding the progress of the investigation.
Action Society has also requested urgent updates in the case involving the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl, referred to as Camellia*, which has now been ongoing for more than two years since the offence was reported. The case docket was previously located in archives at Mfuleni SAPS and an investigating officer indicated that four outstanding witness statements still needed to be obtained before the matter could be returned to court for enrolment. However, no further feedback has been provided since that update.
In a third matter, Action Society has escalated concerns regarding a case registered at Lentegeur SAPS involving the alleged rape of a child reported in 2019. According to the complainant, the accused was never brought in for questioning and the case was reportedly closed without further investigation, despite the victim now being ready to speak to a forensic social worker.
Action Society says the similarities across these cases point to a broader systemic failure within the criminal justice system.
Action Society National Spokesperson Juanita du Preez says the organisation is increasingly concerned that South Africa is facing a growing cold case crisis.
“Across the country we are seeing more and more serious cases quietly losing momentum. Murder cases and cases involving the sexual assault of children remain open for years while investigations stall, evidence is delayed and families struggle to obtain even basic updates about what is happening.”
Du Preez says the collapse of forensic capacity and investigative oversight is making the situation worse.
“When forensic laboratories are unable to process DNA evidence timeously, when dockets disappear into archives, and when investigators fail to follow up on basic leads, cases inevitably grow cold. What we are seeing is a growing cold case crisis where investigative neglect and systemic breakdowns allow perpetrators to slip through the cracks.”
She says the breakdown in communication with victims’ families is also a major concern.
“Families who have already suffered immense trauma should not have to fight simply to obtain information about the progress of an investigation. In many of the cases we deal with, families are left in the dark for months or even years.”
According to Action Society, this lack of communication is also one of the factors contributing to growing mistrust in the police, as highlighted in the organisation’s recent Criminal Justice System Trends Report.
“When victims and their families cannot obtain basic updates about cases, public confidence in the police inevitably erodes. Transparency and accountability are essential if the criminal justice system is to regain the trust of the communities it serves,” Du Preez said.
Action Society has requested urgent written feedback from the relevant police authorities in all three matters and has indicated that the cases will be escalated to national oversight bodies if adequate responses are not received.
Du Preez says the organisation will continue monitoring these investigations closely.
“Every stalled investigation represents a family waiting for justice. If we allow these cases to quietly disappear into the system, we are effectively telling victims that their cases do not matter. Action Society will continue pushing for answers until these families receive the justice they deserve.”
*Name changed to protect the identity of a minor.
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