MORE women than men were in the final quarter of last year abused, according to the Police statistics.
In terms of gender vulnerability, a total of 6,419 females representing 75 percent were abused during the fourth quarter of 2020 as compared with 5,788 females during the third Quarter of 2020.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo announced in a media statement that a total of 8,557 cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) were reported Countrywide during the fourth Quarter of 2020 compared with 7,640 cases reported countrywide indicating an increase compared to the third quarter.
She said 1,723 juveniles were abused countrywide representing 20 percent of all the victims of GBV.
Mrs Katongo said out of the 1,723 juvenile victims, 1,298 were females representing 75 % while 425 were males representing 25% of all abused juvenile victims respectively.
She said 5,121 female adults and 1,713 male adults were abused countrywide representing 60% and 20 % respectively.
“Under sexual abuse, 787 cases of sexual offences were recorded representing nine percent of all the reported cases. Out of these, 622 victims were female juveniles translating to 79%, 163 victims were female adults translating to 20.7%, 03 victims were male juveniles translating to 0.4%, whilst 03 victims were male adults translating to four percent.
She said in the third quarter of 2020, 832 cases of sexual offences were recorded representing 11% of all the reported cases.
Mrs Katongo said a total of 586 cases of Child defilement translating to seven percent were recorded, of which 585 were female juveniles and one case of male juvenile was recorded representing 99.8% and 0.2% of all the reported cases respectively.
She said Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of child defilement cases with 257 translating to 44% of the child defilement cases reported country wide while Eastern Province recorded 63 cases, followed by Central Province with 62 cases.
“Southern Province had 53 cases and Copperbelt Province recorded 39 cases of all the reported defilement cases. North Western recorded 38, Muchinga 23, Western 19, Luapula recorded 17, Northern 09 representing, Airport Division recorded one case,” she said.
Mrs Katongo further said 106 rape and 13 attempted rape cases were recorded during the period.
“The country also recorded 32 cases of indecent Assault out of which 28 victims were female adults, three female juveniles, and one male. 15 cases of incest were recorded in which 11 were female juveniles, three female adults and one male adult as victims.
Meanwhile, 22 murder cases were recorded with 17 victims being female adults representing 77%, three male adults translating to 14%, while one victim was a male juvenile and one was a female juvenile.
“Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of Assault OABH cases at 547, followed by Central Province which recorded 340 cases and Muchinga with 243, Copperbelt had 238, Eastern, 174 cases, North Western had 151, Western Province had 144 cases while Southern Province recorded 81 cases.
Luapula had 55 cases, Tazara 36 cases and Northern Province had 34 cases,” she
Mrs Katongo said police will continue conducting sensitisation on the vice and has resolved to encourage victims of GBV to continue reporting perpetrators of crime for possible prosecution.
