Shocking figures of 528 rape cases in Omusati …Young girls worst affected

By Eliaser Ndeyanale in Ongwediva

POLICE have disclosed that 528 girls were raped in Omusati re­gion in the past two years, with relatives and boyfriends cited as per­petrators.
The chilling statistics were given last week by the Omusati regional head of Gender-Based Violence Sergeant Hi­lya Anghuuwo at the 16 Days of Ac­tivism against Women and Children, an international campaign aimed at raising awareness around the world. The 16 days of activism against GBV is commemorated from November 25 to December 10 in order to sym­bolically link violence against women and human rights.
In the Omusati region the event held at Okahao ELCIN church.
Addressing the gathering, Ang­huuwo said that 65 percent of the vic­tims were younger than 16. Accord­ing to her, 265 cases were reported in Outapi, 230 in Okahao and 33 in Okalongo constituencies.
During the same period 212 cases of attempt rape were reported in Outapi, 110 in Okahao, 22 in Onand­jamba and Tsandi constituency re­spectively.
She also added that in 2015 87 cases of assault were reported in the region, 48 cases were for intimidations while 17 were of minor assaults.
Okahao constituency councillor Leonard Shikulo said most of the incidents from his area happened at Omushapi, a notorious place south of Okahao. In 2013 four women were murdered by their partners, three were killed in 2014, while six were killed this year. Anghuuwo urged victims to report every GBV-related offence to the police. Speaking at the same occasion, Omusati governor Erginus Endjala expressed disap­pointment, ascribing the high num­ber of rape to alcohol.
“Did we gain our independence to rape children? When people are say­ing perpetrators must be sentenced to the death penalty, we are told it’s not possible. The democracy that we have is not doing justice to us,” he said.
“This high number of murder and rape is caused by alcohol. Are we dy­ing if we don’t sell alcohol (sic)?” he asked. DTA Parliamentarian, Elma Dienda said she was shocked by the alarming statistics blaming the high rape on the justice system.
“What are the police doing? Our justice system is failing us. Perpe­trators are released from prisons and they are raping again. There are loopholes in our justice system. Po­lice don’t have vehicles to attend to victims,” she said adding that cases should be sped up. Last week police in the Khomas region revealed that from January 2015 to November this year 1 038 rape cases, 2 010 attempt rapes, 787 assaults, 58 murders and 56 attempted murders were reported.