The Zambia Police Service has revealed that cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) have reduced in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period last year.
Police Spokesperson, Esther Katongo says the first quarter of 2021, 4,254 cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) were reported countrywide compared to the First Quarter of 2020 where 5,040 GBV cases were recorded showing a decrease of 786 cases translating to a 15.6 percent reduction.
Mrs Katongo said 627 male adults reported GBV cases representing 14.7 percent, 2,277 were female adult victims representing 53.5 percent, 284 were boys representing 6.7percent and 1,066 girls representing 25.1percent.
She said in the first quarter of 2020, Police recorded 841 male adult victims representing 16.7percent, 2,768 female adult victims representing 54.9 percent, 294 boys representing 5.8 percent and 1,124 girls representing 22.3 percent of all victims of Gender-based violence.
Mrs Katongo noted that during the period under review, the Victim Support Unit counselled a total of 2,676 people for criminal offences comprising 1,651 victims and 1,025 offenders.
“2, 733 were counselled for non-criminal offences comprising 668 male adults, 1,685 female adults, 129 boys and 251 girls bringing the total number of people counselled to 5,409,” she said.
Ms Katongo revealed that Copperbelt Province recorded the highest GBV cases with 993 cases translating to 23.3 percent, followed by Lusaka with 949 GBV cases translating to 22.3 percent.
She stated that Luapula Province and TAZARA division recorded the lowest GBV cases at 47 each case translating to 1.1 percent respectively.
“Statistics from the rest of the provinces are as follows; Central Province recorded 453 cases translating to 10.7 percent, Western Province 451 cases translating to 10.6 percent, Eastern Province 415 cases translating to 9.8 percent, Muchinga Province 294 cases translating to 6.9 percent, Southern Province 227 cases translating to 5.3 percent, North Western Province 208 cases translating to 4.9 percent, Northern Province 120 cases translating to 2.8 percent and Airport 50 cases translating to 1.2 percent,” she said.
She further explained that under physical violence, during the first quarter of 2021, the Victim Support Unit recorded a total of 2,403 cases against 2,167 cases in 2020 showing an increase of 236 cases translating to 10.9 percent increase.
“According to the 2021 GBV Crime Report for the First Quarter, police recorded a total number of 523 cases of child defilement representing 12.3 percent of the reported cases, with 521 female victims and 2 boys as compared to the 2020 First Quarter Returns in which 633 cases were recorded showing a decrease by 110 translating to 17.4 percent decrease,” she said.
Mrs Katongo added that in the first quarter of 2021 Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of child defilement cases with 259 cases translating to 49.5 percent reported country wide followed by Central Province with 51 cases translating to 9.8 percent.
She stated that Southern Province recorded 47 cases translating to 9 percent, North Western Province recorded 35 cases translating 6.7percent while Eastern province recorded 32 cases translating to 6.1 percent.
This is according to a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today
Anyone who beats a woman deserves to meet me and my pistol. Bang bang to the head
Why is the Police announcing this should be done by some independent organisation…Police can easily be wrongly entering GBH instead of GBV…what happens after these cases are reported? What’s the success rate in courts?
Positive things are happening in Zambia ever since President Edgar Lungu became the President of this country.
Wonder why no past leaders targeted such a sensitive topic of gender violence? We are forever grateful to President Edgar Lungu.
The GBV was real and its pain was real! We are extremely proud of President Lungu and his team who worked hard provided a helping hand to such people. God bless!
We cannot deny the fact that President Lungu made laws especially for the protection of women, and children which were not present earlier. Kudos to President Lungu.
Police service, law and order, government system are for Zambians and they are perfectly doing their job. But, HH and his media team spread several lies, fake news, videos and try to damage their true character just to get the political benefit. Shame on them.
Still, some dull people will say that these numbers are for votes! Pathetic!!!
The numbers cannot lie! Happy to hear the great news!!
This shows the power of President Lungu and his continuous awareness campaign!
We believe that President Lungu is the clear winner of the upcoming elections, he did so much good for the people of this country.
People are getting jobs, lifestyle is improving, better education facilities, business sector development and mainly our economy is growing. What else we want from the President. ECL Beyond 2021!