Police record 24 GBV related murders

Esther Katongo

The Zambia Police has disclosed that it recorded 24 Gender Based Violence related murders in the third quarter of 2018.

This is out of the 6,114 Gender Based Violence cases recorded countrywide during the third quarter of 2018 compared to 5,096 recorded during the same period in 2017, indicating an increase of 1,018 cases which translate to 16.7 percent.

In a statement on the 2018 third quarter gender based violence statistics, Zambia Police Service Public Relations Officer, Esther Katongo says of the total reported cases of GBV related murders, 11 victims were female adults, five male adult victims; five girls translating while three were boys.

Ms Katongo notes that the increase in the GBV cases may be attributed to the many interventions being put in place by the Police Victim Support Unit and other stakeholders in combating the vice.

Ms Katongo says a total of 664 cases of Child Defilement were recorded representing 10.9% of the total reported cases out of which three were against boys while 661 were against girls.

She says Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of Child defilement cases with 320 translating to 48.2% of the child defilement cases reported countrywide, Southern Province recorded 73 cases translating to 11.0%, followed by Central Province with 63 cases or 9.5%, Eastern Province had 60 cases representing 9%, and Copperbelt Province recorded 49 cases translating to 7.4%.

Ms Katongo adds that 124 rape cases representing 2% were reported while 23 cases were Attempted Rape.

She says 37 cases of indecent Assault translating to 0.6% of the total reported GBV cases were recorded  out of which two (02) were against male adults, 26 against female adults and nine (09) against girls.

Ms Katongo also reveals that 12 cases of Incest involving six female adults and six girls were reported countrywide.