ABSTRACT Mandatory reporting laws are a controversial mechanism that require members of particular occupations to report cases of serious child maltreatment that they encounter in the course of their work to welfare or law enforcement agencies. In April 2019 a video went viral in which a woman filmed her colleague beating toddlers at a crèche in Gauteng. The crèche was closed, and arrests were made, including of the videographer. Given extent of violence and abuse against South African children, this paper investigates whether South African law adequately provides for the liability of those compelled to report child abuse but who fail to do so, why mandated reporters fail to report abuse, and how South Africa's mandatory reporting rules should be amended to better serve their purpose.

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扭转“保密综合症”：虐待和忽视儿童案件的强制性报告义务

摘要 强制性报告法是一个有争议的机制，它要求特定职业的成员向福利或执法机构报告他们在工作过程中遇到的严重虐待儿童案件。2019 年 4 月，一段视频在网上疯传，一名妇女在豪登省的一家托儿所拍摄了她的同事殴打幼儿的视频。托儿所被关闭，并逮捕了包括摄像师在内的人。鉴于对南非儿童的暴力和虐待程度，本文调查了南非法律是否充分规定了那些被迫报告虐待儿童但没有这样做的人的责任，为什么强制报告者不报告虐待，以及南非的强制性应修改报告规则以更好地服务于其目的。