<![CDATA[Background: Children are the most vulnerable members of society and susceptible to being victims ofcrime, although the problem is hardly recognized in society. The South African Children’s Act of 2005 is afine piece of law, but its implementation at ground level is a challenge. Long-term poverty in the majority ofhouseholds and high levels of crime are inherent risks to children’s well-being in this region.Objective: To highlight the problem of child homicide in the Mthatha region of South Africa.Case report: These case reports examine three incidents of children being killed by their caregivers. In thefirst case the child had multiple injuries to bones, with distorted extremities and fractured ribs. The secondwas an infant decapitated by her mother and thrown into a nearby river. The third, a five-year-old boy, waskilled by a gunshot injury to the head. The histories, postmortem findings, cause of death, medico-legalreports and the Child Protection Act of 2005 are discussed in this manuscript.Conclusion: Crime against children takes place in the Mthatha region of South Africa, despite the existenceof the Child Protection Act. This Act needs to be strictly implemented.]]>
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