Gender - Related Crimes Still High - Police Report

August 29, 2005 – (The New Times) Cases of rape, defilement, wife battering and murder are still soaring, according to police records between the months of January and June.

The report indicates that Kigali City recorded 224 defilement and 32 rape cases followed by Gitarama and Ruhengeri provinces with 106 and 102 defilement cases respectively, while rape cases stood at 32 and 38 in the two rural provinces.

In July alone, 50 children were defiled in Kigali with nine cases of incest reported.

The report however reveals few defilement and rape cases in Gikongoro Province.

In an interview with The New Times, the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, who is also in charge of the Gender Desk, Superintendent Simon Peter Mukama, attributed the high crime rate in the city to the big number of street kids and working parents, who leave their children with houseboys. He however noted that similar offences in Gitarama and Ruhengeri were attributed to early marriages practiced in the provinces.

To counter the situation, Police have set up an independent gender desk to address the high gender-related crimes in the country.

Spt. Mukama, noted that gender related crimes have always been challenging which called for the establishment of an independent desk.

"Domestic violence has always been challenging to police even before," Mukama noted.

He said the desk was not yet active but added that plans to set it in motion were at an advanced stage. He added that funds to train people to make follow up on gender based violence in every province in the country have been set aside.

Mukama said that plans were also underway to set up free communication lines between the National Police and the public in provinces registering high cases.

He asserted that a seminar would soon be held to sensitise the public about gender-based violence crimes.

Mukama pointed out that though gender-based crimes were not common in Kigali city, they are alarming in other provinces.

We receive many reports of women being tortured and killed by their partners; this is not only against the Rwandan culture but is also against humanity," Mukama asserted.

He noted that UNIFEM recently donated ten motor cycles to help tackle gender -based violence in provinces.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200508291024.html