FOR4803
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: 11 MAY 2026
, FOR4803 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE 11 MAY 2026
Write a research on the following topic:
TO CRITICALLY ANALYSE DNA PROFILING AS A FORENSIC TECHNIQUE IN
INVESTIGATING
SERIAL RAPE CASES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Your content should include:
According to Leedy and Ormrod (2010:44), the research problem is the central axis
around which the entire research effort revolves. It requires a clear and comprehensive
indication of what will be studied. A research problem must be a real-life issue,
substantiated by relevant sources such as official statistics and reports.
In South Africa, sexual offences, including rape, are pervasive and represent a serious
challenge to the criminal justice system. The South African Police Service (SAPS)
annual crime statistics consistently report thousands of rape cases annually. For
instance, the 2007/08 statistics cited in a study for the South African Presidency noted
that while overall crime was decreasing, certain categories were increasing, and
interpersonal violence, including sexual offences, constituted 24% of all reported crimes
(SBP, 2008:4). More critically, the same report highlights a low conviction rate for such
crimes, partly due to investigative weaknesses (SBP, 2008:49-50).
A specific and highly challenging category of these crimes is serial rape, where the
same perpetrator commits multiple offences over time. The ability to link these
geographically or temporally separated cases is a significant hurdle for investigators.
While DNA profiling is widely acknowledged as a powerful forensic tool for
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: 11 MAY 2026
, FOR4803 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE 11 MAY 2026
Write a research on the following topic:
TO CRITICALLY ANALYSE DNA PROFILING AS A FORENSIC TECHNIQUE IN
INVESTIGATING
SERIAL RAPE CASES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Your content should include:
According to Leedy and Ormrod (2010:44), the research problem is the central axis
around which the entire research effort revolves. It requires a clear and comprehensive
indication of what will be studied. A research problem must be a real-life issue,
substantiated by relevant sources such as official statistics and reports.
In South Africa, sexual offences, including rape, are pervasive and represent a serious
challenge to the criminal justice system. The South African Police Service (SAPS)
annual crime statistics consistently report thousands of rape cases annually. For
instance, the 2007/08 statistics cited in a study for the South African Presidency noted
that while overall crime was decreasing, certain categories were increasing, and
interpersonal violence, including sexual offences, constituted 24% of all reported crimes
(SBP, 2008:4). More critically, the same report highlights a low conviction rate for such
crimes, partly due to investigative weaknesses (SBP, 2008:49-50).
A specific and highly challenging category of these crimes is serial rape, where the
same perpetrator commits multiple offences over time. The ability to link these
geographically or temporally separated cases is a significant hurdle for investigators.
While DNA profiling is widely acknowledged as a powerful forensic tool for
