The nerve wrecking vice of Gender Based Violence (GBV) was the cause. The vice, it seems; knows no borders. Not even holy gatherings are spared by its infiltration.
This explains why instead of normal celebration, three female Police Constables stood where summons are normally conducted to deliver an appealing message to congregants that GBV incidents should be reported instead of being swept under carpets.
Pentecost Sunday, the tenth day after Ascension Day is a great day in the Catholic calendar. It is known as the ‘birthday of the Catholic’ as this was the day in which the first Holy Spirit to fall on many believers was experienced. It is normally celebrated like any other great day. Characterised by songs, ululations, poems and spirit filled prayers. The past was different. The two hours service period was divided into two. The Church’s program was thus cut short.
“The growth of GBV reports in our offices is a cause for concern. What is of more concern is the fact that many go unreported. Worse still, some victims keep withdrawing cases after they file them at police stations,” explained Constable Dikeledi Pheaga. She appeared to be the head of the team.
She explained that there are four types of GBV: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and economic abuse. She said the physical and sexual abuse are on the rise; with the former being the commonest. The cases, she said are reported by a woman which is why her presentation would be focused more on women’s abuse by men. Gender covers all- men and women; but it is women who experience more violence and report their cases.
Sexual abuse is experienced mostly, as revealed by reports; through abuse of girl children. The common is defilement. The problem there, Pheaga said, is the upbringing of the girl child which has deteriorated under the guise of modernisation.
“Modern upbringing is not doing our society any good. Parents should not just let their children visit friends whom they do not know. The child goes there for hours. While there, she gets involved in mischief or is sexually abused. It is when pathetic consequences surface that parents try to act. There are cases of ‘lost persons’ which often end up indicating that the child was actually not a missing person but one way or the other the parent knew her whereabouts,” she said to murmurs of acknowledgment from the congregants.
She decried the fact that people tend to turn a blind eye to incidences of defilement. This in turn becomes opportune moment for sex pests who get pleasure from bedding under aged children. In worst case scenarios she said, a child molester is given a praise name as if he is a hero. Many children from the same location can be impregnated by the same person and he goes freely. This contravenes Section 25 of the Children’s Act. The punishment for this is up to P50 000; or years in jail.
“Example of emotional abuse is when one on becomes the property of another person so much so that she has to account for every movement she makes or every cell phone communication. Battering follows. This hurts the victims. But to keep the relationship we do not report these. They happen even to believers. In the long run the problem keeps growing until one just collapses and witches or wizards are blamed for the fault that is not theirs,” she said.
She spent ample time decrying the withdrawal of cases which she said led to police being verbally abused at funerals after the victim ultimately dies. Because withdrawals did not involve parents’ endorsement (married couples) when an uncle who lives elsewhere is asked to speak about the deceased, he will lambast the police reluctance to punish the culprit.
A congregant commented that the legal system in the country is weak as there is no benefit for the victim who reports the case. The presentations should be expanded to other public gatherings as there are many who encounter abuse regularly but are not religious.
To a man who asked whether men can get the same reception as women when they report abuse. She responded in the positive.
She said initiatives like women’s shelter have been created for female gender because statistics show there is need for such; hence there are no men’s shelters.
The Parish Priest, Father Anthony Kornu highlighted that there are abuses that men experience but are shy to report. He enquired what type of abuse it was where a woman who promised to marry a man after he sponsored her through higher and tertiary education, only to change her mind after she graduates. It was defined as emotional abuse.
Men concluded the day by planting a tree as a sign of life for the church and male persons.
