“How Many of Us Are in the Percentage?”: SA Forensic Pathologist Highlights Femicide Statistics

• A South African forensic pathologist filmed herself walking into an autopsy room to discuss the country's femicide crisis
• She shared statistics showing that close partners account for about 60% of identified femicide perpetrators
• She highlighted that 44.2% of femicide cases in the 2020/21 study had no identified perpetrator

A South African forensic pathologist used the setting of her workplace to highlight the scale of gender-based violence and femicide in the country. On 15 September 2026, Instagram user @nox_keli posted a walk-and-talk video filmed inside a hospital facility, moving through a locker room and tiled corridor before entering an autopsy room while discussing statistics on femicide in South Africa.

Her message was direct:

"We have had a femicide pandemic for a very, very long time. The stats do not lie."

The pathologist breaks down the femicide statistics

The pathologist cited figures relating to femicide and close partner violence in South Africa, including statistics from research on women killed in the country.

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The Parliamentary Research Unit's fact sheet, based on South African Medical Research Council research, found that close partners accounted for 60.1% of identified femicide perpetrators in 2020/21. Friends, acquaintances and others accounted for 19.1%, family members for 10.9% and strangers for 10.1%.

The same research found that an estimated three women were killed every day by an close partner. Parliament has previously cited the research in discussing the scale of femicide in South Africa.

The research highlights gaps in accountability

The statistic the pathologist described as particularly alarming was the number of cases where investigators could not identify a perpetrator.

According to the Parliamentary Research Unit's summary of the 2020/21 femicide research, 44.2% of cases had no identified perpetrator during the investigation, up from 30% in 2017.

She encouraged viewers to visit the Parliamentary Research Unit's fact sheet on GBV and femicide for more information.

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View the Instagram video below:

South Africans react to the video

The post on her page drew an emotional response from followers, with some thanking the pathologist for highlighting the statistics while others raised questions about reporting, investigations and convictions.

@refilwe_sk_productions wrote:

"Thank you for this"

@mpho_bm said:

"Thank you for this. Numbers don't lie 😢😢😢😢"

@life_style_with_rhulani reflected:

"I wonder how many of us are in the percentage that did not report"

@mphomgumede asked:

"Why are they not identified? Do you have stats on the conviction rates?"

@gugu_igugulethu responded:

"😭😭😭😭💔"

@naremautjane said:

"Yoh 😭😔"

More Briefly News stories on statistics

• Stats SA’s latest survey found a 21% increase in households reporting murder, contrasting with SAPS crime statistics and raising concerns about crime reporting.
• South Africa ranked first in Africa and eighth globally for aviation safety after recording 40 years without a commercial airline fatal accident.
• South African women shared economic and personal reasons for the country’s declining birth rate, with some expressing fears around single motherhood and others embracing child-free choices.

Source: Briefly News