The Zambia Police Service says during the second quarter of 2020, 4,409 cases of Gender Based Violence were recorded by the Police in the Country.
According to Zambia Police Public Relations Officer Esther Mwaata Katongo in the Second Quarter of 2020 Gender Victim dis-aggregated data, indicates that 1,256 children were abused countrywide representing 28 % of all the victims of Gender Based Violence, out of the 1,256 child victims, 999 were girls representing 80 % while 257 were boys representing 20 % of all abused child victims respectively.
Mrs Katongo said the statistics further indicated that 2,356 were female adult victims while 797 were male adult victims representing 53.4% and 18.1 % respectively.
“A comparison with the Second Quarter of 2019, 6,139 GBV cases were recorded last year compared to 4,409 recorded during the Second Quarter of 2020 showing a decrease by 1,730 cases translating to a 28.2% decrease,” she said.
She said under sexual abuse, 795 cases of sexual offences were recorded representing 18% of all the reported cases, out of 795 reported cases, 596 victims were girls translating to 74.9%, 173 victims were female adults translating to 21.8%, 16 victims were boys translating to 2%, while 10 victims were male adults translating to 1.3%.
“A total of 554 cases of Child defilement, all girls were recorded representing 12.6% of all the reported GBV cases,” she Noted.
“Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of child defilement cases with 206 translating to 37.2% of the child defilement cases reported country wide. Central Province recorded 79 cases translating to 14.3%, followed by Eastern Province with 72 cases translating to 13%, Copperbelt Province had 44 cases translating to 7.9% and Southern Province recorded 43 cases translating to 7.8% of the reported defilement cases.”
She noted that other Provinces are Northern 29 cases representing 5.2%, Luapula 24, representing 4.3%, North Western 21, representing 3.8%, Muchinga 20 representing 3.6% while Western Province had 16 reported cases representing 2.9%.

Mrs Katongo noted that 115 rape and 12 attempted rape cases were recorded during the period under review. The country also recorded 55 cases of indecent Assault out of which 26 victims were women, 20 girls, 7 Men and 2 were boys. 12 cases of incest were recorded in which 10 were women and 2 were girl victims.
She said under physical abuse, the country recorded 2,082 cases translating to 47.2 % of the reported cases of which 327 translating to 15.7% were male victims, 1,601 cases translating to 76.9% were females, 78 cases translating to 3.8% were girls and 76 cases translating to 3.7% were boys.
Mrs Katongo further said during the period under review, the country recorded 24 GBV murder cases compared to 20 recorded in the second quarter in 2019, showing an increase by 04 cases or 16.7% increase. The 24 murder cases recorded represent 0.5% of all the reported cases out of which 12 victims were female adult translating to 50%, 11 male adults translating to 45.8%, and 01 girl translating to 4.2%.
“1,756 cases of Assault OABH were recorded country wide representing 39.8% of the reported GBV cases, out of the 1,756 cases of Assault OABH, 1,475 translating to 84%were female victims while 281 translating to 16% were male victims,” She explained.
“Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of Assault OABH cases with 420 representing 23.9% of all reported Assault OABH cases, followed by Central Province which recorded 301 cases representing to 17.1% and Copperbelt with 212 representing 12.1% of all Assault OAHB cases reported countrywide.”
She said others are Eastern, 206 cases representing 11.7%, Muchinga had 186 representing 10.6%, and Western had 151 cases representing 8.6%, Southern recorded 90 cases representing 5.1%.
Mrs Katongo added that North Western 82 cases at 4.7%, Luapula had 50 cases at 2.9% and Tazara Division 31 cases at 1.8%, Northern recorded 23 cases at 1.3% and Airport Division recorded 04 cases representing 0.2% of all the reported Assault OABH cases.
“Under Economic Abuse, 452 cases of Failing to Provide Necessaries of life and 351 cases of Neglecting to Provide Necessaries were recorded translating to 10.3% and 7.9% of reported cases respectively,” she said.

“Out of 4,409 GBV cases reported country wide, 963 cases translating to 21.8% were taken to court resulting in 131 convictions or 13.6%, 32 acquittals translating to 3.3%, 101 cases were withdrawn from court representing 10.5% and 699 are still under investigations. 1,636 cases were withdrawn at various police stations.”
She said a comparison with 2019 second quarter statistics on sexual violence, 583 cases of defilement were reported in 2019 compared to 554 cases reported during the Second Quarter of 2020 with a difference of 29 cases translating to a 4.9% decrease.
Mrs Katongo lamented that Assault OABH cases has remained constant at 1,756 during the Second Quarters of 2019 and 2020 respectively.
“Under Emotional-psychological abuse,158 cases translating to 3.6% of the total number of GBV cases were recorded.119 cases translating to 75.3% were females, 37 cases translating to 23.4%were males while 1 case of a boy and one case of a girl were recorded translating to 0.6% respectively,” she said.