Mozambique: Sexual assault of minors, rape cases spike in Inhambane during lockdown

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Mozambique: Sexual assault of minors, rape cases spike in Inhambane during lockdown

4:41 CAT | 14 Oct 2020

FILE - For illustration purposes only. Associação Txivuno Txavanana confirms that cases of rape have increased since the beginning of the pandemic.[File photo: DW]

Mozambican civil society organizations say they are working to encourage victims to report cases of sexual abuse during the pandemic, and administration of justice bodies are beefing up awareness campaigns.

An 18-year-old girl who wishes to remain anonymous told DW Africa that she was raped several times by her uncle because of Covid-19-related confinement, but never complained to the authorities for fear of reprisals.

“When my family found out, they thought it was a lie or a joke. The first to find out was my grandfather, because he surprised us [in the act],” she says.

This girl’s case is not unique. Rufaida Abdul, a resident of Maxixe, says that one of her neighbours got his granddaughter pregnant. The older man took the girl with him when he went fishing at night, and there sexually abused her.

“Every day, he wakes his granddaughter up and takes her to the beach, where he ‘takes advantage’ of her [rapes her],” Rufaida laments.

Arteonesa Sambo, president of the Txivuno Txavanana Association of non-governmental organisations in Inhambane, confirms that cases of rape and sexual assault have increased since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, although girls are often afraid to denounce the rapists.

“They don’t want to denounce [them] because they may suffer reprisals. In [awareness actions] in communities and schools, [we tell] these girls not to be afraid to denounce these cases,” Sambo says, adding that the association provides protection for the victims.

“Families have to look at girls as the future of our country,” she says.

Government does not reveal data

Graça Arnaldo, head of the provincial command of the police department responsible for assisting families and victims of violence, would not comment on the increase in sexual abuse cases in Inhambane or reveal whether there is specific official data on this area.

Arnaldo did however say that the police were using the media to disseminate messages and free hotlines to encourage the reporting of such crimes.

“What we are doing now is to use our existing community radios at district level, our televisions and also mainly the markets,” she says.

Source: Deutsche Welle