A 25-year-old woman in Milenge District in Luapula Province has allegedly been beaten to death by her husband.
The deceased identified as Alice Lungu of Talayi Village in Chief Sokontwe’s Chiefdom allegedly died from a suspected case of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Attending the funeral of the deceased, Milenge District Commissioner Kayula Mulenga called on the community to report cases of GBV and cautioned against dismissing abuse as a family or cultural matter.
The media reports that Mr Mulenga urged victims not be discouraged from speaking out under the pretext of protecting family image.
“When victims come out to report, they should not be reprimanded or told that they are embarrassing the family, let’s not encourage GBV,” Mr Mulenga said.
Mr Mulenga stressed that all forms of GBV must be reported to relevant authorities, warning that violence has far-reaching consequences, especially for children who are left to suffer when one parent is killed and the other is arrested.
And Chief Sokontwe has advised women to stop keeping quiet when they are being abused in their homes.
Speaking through his representative, Headman Orlando, Chief Sokontwe also advised men to reduce alcohol consumption, which he described as a major contributor to GBV incidents.
The traditional leader called for prompt reporting of GBV cases to police or One-Stop Centres, adding that early reporting can prevent loss of life.
Meanwhile, a community member close to the family of the deceased, Winfredah Kunda, said the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault remained unclear, adding that the family was still struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss.
Ms. Kunda disclosed that postmortem results revealed that the deceased sustained severe internal injuries
