Reported violence cases up

 By MARGARET TALINGAPUA

The number of domestic and sexual violence cases in the country has increased dramatically since 2012, coordinator for the Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee Ume Wainetti, says.

But this is just a tip of the iceberg as this is only the cases reported. 

Wainetti said Family and Sexual Violence Units (FSVU) in all provinces reported increased numbers which brought the total reported cases to 9000 this year.

“That is a very big jump from 2012 which had reported cases in the hundreds. The number has shot up this year and that is a very big concern,” Wainetti said. 

She said the figure was just for reported cases but only a few women and girls pursued their cases in court, which was another matter of concern.

“In some cases, most women who are sexually and violently abused do not go to court because there is no assistance available or some change their minds along the way,” she said.

Wainetti said women and girls were not the only ones being abused in the community but men and boys as well.

Wainetti said men who had sex with men and boys as young as five- to 10-years-old were being reportedly raped by teenagers and older men but these were not being reported for many reasons, including stigma.

She is encouraging men and boys to come forward and report sexual abuse and is calling on all Family and Sexual Violence Units in the provinces to work effectively to reduce the alarming rate of abuses.

She said the committee was powerful because of the representation it had from different sectors of the community like health, police, legal service, public solicitors office and others who not only provided protection but prosecuted perpetrators.

She said only a couple of provinces were effectively doing their work whereas some places where the committee was not functional, lead agencies were carrying out their work.