Over 1000 Children Were Abused Last Year

OVER 1000 children were last year abused countrywide, with girls standing at 79 percent. Meanwhile, Gender Based Violence 2021 second quarter data analysis has seen a 1.9 % reduction.

Giving an update on the victim support unit 2021 second quarter GBV data analysis,Police Spokesperson Esther Katongo said 1,104 child victims were abused countrywide.She however said there is a reduction as compared to 2020 in which 4,409 of GBV cases were recorded.”4,324 cases of Gender Based Violence were reported Countrywide during the Second Quarter of 2021 compared to the Second Quarter of 2020 in which 4,409 cases of GBV were recorded, showing a reduction by 85 cases translating to a 1.9% reduction.

The 2021 Second Quarter Gender Based Violence disaggregated data indicates that 1,104 Child Victims were abused countrywide representing 25.5% of all victims of Gender Based Violence. Out of the 1,104 children, 872 were girls representing 79% while 232 were boys representing 21% of all abused child victims respectively. 2,687 women and 533 men were abused countrywide representing 62.1% and 12.3% respectively,” Mrs Katongo said.

She further said during the period under review, the Victim Support Unit counseled a total of 2,056 people for criminal offences comprising of 1,358 victims and 698 offenders.”1,824 were counseled for non-criminal offences comprising of 1,077 females, 318 males, 161 girls and 92 boys bringing the total number of people counseled to 3,880. The 2021 Second Quarter GBV Crime Report shows that 804 Sexual Offenses were recorded representing 18.6% of all the reported cases.

Out of these, 590 victims were girls translating to 73.4%, 202 victims were women translating to 25.1%, 11 victims were boys translating to 1.4%, whilst 01 victim was a man translating to 0.1%,” she saidMrs Katongo said 576 cases of child defilement translating to 71.6% were recorded of which 571 were girls and 5 were boys, representing 99.1% and 0.9% of all the reported cases.Mrs Katongo said Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of child defilement cases with 224 cases translating to 38.9% of all child defilement cases reported country wide.

She added that Central Province recorded 67 cases translating to 11.6%, followed by Southern Province with 60 cases translating to 10.4%.”Eastern Province recorded 57cases translating to10% and Muchinga Province recorded 38cases translating to 6.6% of all the reported defilement cases. Copperbelt and Western recorded 33 cases each translating to 5.7% respectively. North Western Province recorded 29cases translating to 05%. Northern Province recorded 19 cases translating to 3.3%.

Luapula Province and Airport Division recorded 08 cases each translating to 1.4% respectively. Still under Sexual Offences; 123 rape cases were reported of which all victims were women.”Mrs Katongo said 15 attempted rape cases were recorded during the period under review.”

The country also recorded 55 cases of indecent Assault out of which 40 victims were women, 13 girls, 01 man and 01 boy. 13 cases of incest were recorded in which 10 victims were women and 03 were girls. Out of the 1,862 cases of Assault OABH, 1,534 victims were females translating to 82.4% while 328 were males translating to 17.6%. 05 cases of Grievously Bodily Harm (GBH) were also recorded during the period under review of which 03 victims’ were females and 02 males translating to 60%, and 40% respectively.”

“Western Province recorded 276 cases translating to 14.8%. Muchinga Province recorded 206 translating 11.1% of all Assault OAHB cases reported countrywide. Eastern Province recorded 204 representing 11%, Copperbelt 191 cases representing 10.3%. Central Province recorded 188 representing 10.1%. North-Western Province recorded 142 cases representing 7.6%.

Southern Province recorded 108 cases representing 5.8%.Northern Province recorded 55 cases translating to 2.9%, Tazara recorded 44 translating to 2.4%, Luapula, records 19 cases representing 01% of all reported GBV cases,” Mrs Katongo said