THIRD QUARTER GENDER BASED VIOLENCE CASES STATISTICS FOR 2023

The 2023 Third Quarter Gender Based Violence Disaggregated Data indicates that 2,550 Child victims were abused country wide representing 24.4% of all the victims of Gender Based Violence. Out of the 2,550 Children, 1,862 were girls representing 73% while 688 were boys representing 27%. 6,081 women and 1,803 men were abused country wide representing 58.3% and 17.3% respectively. In terms of gender vulnerability, a total of 7,943 females representing 76% and 2,491 males representing 24% were abused during the period under review countrywide.

Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of GBV criminal cases with 2,025 cases translating to 27.7%, followed by Copperbelt Province with 1,357 cases translating to 18.6%. Tazara Division recorded the lowest GBV criminal cases with 20 cases translating to 0.3%.

GBV Criminal Statistics from the rest of the Provinces were as follows;

• Western Province 894 cases translating to 12.2%;

• Central Province 682 cases translating to 9.3%;

• Eastern Province 643 cases translating to 8.8%;

• Luapula Province 396 cases translating to 5.4%;

• North Western Province 371 cases translating to 5.1%;

• Southern Province 367 translating to 5%;

• Muchinga Province 337 cases translating to 4.6%;

• Northern Province 180 cases translating to 2.5% and;

• Airport Division recorded 33 cases translating to 0.5%.

The Zambia Police Act No. 14 of 1999 mandates VSU officers to provide professional counseling to victims of crime & offenders. The third quarter Statistical report indicates that 10,490 were counseled by Victim Support Unit officers countrywide. 5,922 or 56.5% counseled were under the criminal case category whereas 4,568 or 43.5% were counseled under the non-criminal case category.

Out of the 5,922 counseled under the criminal case category, 3,624 or 61.2% were victims comprising 452 or 12.5% men, 2,225 or 61.4% `women, 306 or 8.4% boys and 641 or 17.7% girls. 2,298 or 38.8% were offenders comprising 377 or 16.4% men, 1,317 or 57.3% women, 219 or 9.5% boys and 385 or 16.8% girls.

Out of 4,568 counseled in the non-criminal case category, 2566 or 56.2 were victims comprising 651 or 25.4% men, 1,547 or 60.3% women, 183 or 7.1% boys and 185 or 7.2%. 2002 or 43.8% were offenders comprising 536 or 26.8% men, 1,203 or 60.1% women, 141 or 7% boys and 122 or 6.1% girls.

Under forms of abuse in the criminal case category, the highest number of reports filed were under Physical abuse totaling 3,802 translating to 52% compared with 3,366 cases recorded in the third quarter of 2022, showing an increase of 436 cases or 13% increase. 617 victims were men translating to 16.2%, 2,776 victims were women translating to 73%, 206 victims were boys translating to 5.4% and 203 cases were girls translating to 5.3% against 3,366 cases recorded in 2022.

Out of 3,802 Physical Abuse cases 3,257 Assault OABH cases was recorded country wide translating to 85.7% of all the reported GBV cases. Out of the cases of Assault OABH, 2,680 translating to 82.3% were women while 577 translating to 17.7% were men. 22 cases of Grievously Bodily Harm (G.B.H) were reported during the period under review by 20 women and 2 men translating to 90.9% and 9.1% respectively.

31 Murder cases were recorded during the period under review translating to 0.8% compared to 22 cases in the third quarter of 2022. The third quarter statistical report recorded shows an increase of 9 cases translating to 40.9% increase. Out of 31 cases of murder recorded country wide, 15 victims were Women translating to 48.4%, 10 victims were men translating to 32.3%, 4 victims were boys translating to 12.9% and 2 victims were girls translating to 6.5%. No case of Attempted murder was recorded compared to 4 cases of attempted murder comprising of 3 women and 1 boy that were recorded in 2022. This years’s third quarter Report showing a decrease of 0 translating to 100% decrease.

3,257 cases of Assault OABH were recorded compared to the 2022 third quarter report in which 2,939 cases of Assault OABH showing an increase of 318 cases translating to 10.8% increase. The highest Assault OABH cases were recorded in Lusaka.

• Lusaka province recorded 854 cases of Assault OABH country wide translating to 26.2%.

• Copper belt Province recorded 436 cases translating to 13.4%.

• Central Province recorded 398 translating 12.2% of all Assault OAHB cases reported countrywide.

• Eastern Province recorded 385 cases representing 11.8%,

• Western Province recorded 325 cases representing 10%, North-Western Province 227 cases translating to 7%.

• Muchinga Province recorded 218 cases translating to 6.7%.

• Southern Province recorded 204 cases translating to 6.3%.

• Northern Province recorded 105 cases translating to 3.2%,

• Luapula Province recorded 85 cases translating to 2.6%.

• Tazara Division recorded 20 cases translating to 0.6% and;

• Airport Division Recorded 0 cases.

Under Economic Abuse, 1,916 cases were recorded country wide translating to 26.2% compared with 1,535 in 2022 showing an increase of 381 cases or 24.8% increase.

853 cases of Failing to Provide Necessaries of life and 782 cases of Neglecting to Provide Necessaries were recorded translating to 44.5% and 40.8% of all reported cases respectively.

The 2023 third quarter GBV Criminal Report shows that 1,066 Sexual offenses were recorded representing 14.6% of all the reported cases against 1000 cases reported in the third quarter of 2022 showing an increase of 66 cases translating to 6.6% increase. Out of these 1,066 cases, 809 victims were girls translating to 75.9%, 219 victims were women translating to 20.5%, 31 victims were boys translating to 2.9%, whilst 7 victims were men translating to 0.7%. 38 Unnatural cases were recorded during the period under review representing 3.6% of which 21 were boys translating to 55.3%, 10 girls translating to 26.3% and 7 men translating to 18.4%. A total of 735 cases of Child defilement translating to 68.9% were recorded, of which 728 girls translating to 99% while 7 cases were boys translating to 1% of the reported cases.

Lusaka Province recorded the highest number of Child defilement cases with 198 cases translating to 26.9% of all Child defilement cases reported country wide.

• Eastern Province recorded 100 cases translating to 13.6%;

• Copperbelt Province with 86 cases translating to 11.7%;

• Southern Province recorded 85 cases translating to 11.6%;

• Central Province recorded 78 cases translating to 10.6%;

• Western Province recorded 39 cases translating to 5.3%;

• North-Western and Muchinga Provinces recorded 38 cases each translating to 5.2% of all the reported defilement cases respectively;

• Northern Province recorded 37 cases translating to 5%;

• Luapula Province recorded 31cases translating to 4.2% and;

• Airport Division recorded 5 cases representing 0.7% whilst Tazara Division Records Nil.

Still under Sexual Offences; 129 cases of rape where recorded of which 121 were women while 8 were girls.

20 cases of attempted rape were recorded during the period under review. The country also recorded 83 cases of indecent Assault out of which 54 victims were women, 28 were girls while 1 was a boy. 18 cases of incest were recorded in which 11 victims were women and 7 victims were girls.

Further, under Emotional or Psychological abuse, VSU recorded 519 cases translating to 7.1% recorded compared with 398 cases in the third quarter of 2022, showing an increase of 121 cases or 30.4%.

191 cases of the use of Insulting language was recorded of which 59 cases were men, 128 cases women ,1 boy and 3 girls. Further, a total of 76 cases of threatening Violence were reported by 13 men and 63 women.

In conclusion, out of the 7,305 GBV Criminal cases reported countrywide, 1,366 cases representing 18.7% were taken to court resulting in 160 Convictions translating to 11.7%, 7 acquittals or 0.5%, 362 withdrawals or 26.5% and 837 or 61.3% pending in various courts of law around the Country. On the other hand, 3,215 cases are still pending under investigations while 2,724 cases were closed at various police stations translating to 54.1% and 45.9% respectively.

A Comparison with the Third Quarter of 2022 which recorded 6,303 cases against 7,305 cases recorded in 2023 showing an increase of 1,002 cases or 15.9%.

Rae Hamoonga

POLICES SPOKESPERSON