Cameroon faces upsurge in deadly violence against women

Bishop John Berinyuy Tatah is calling for action to stop the killing of women and girls in Cameroon following a surge in deadly violence. The auxiliary bishop of the Bamenda archdiocese noted that such violence causes wounds that can last for generations and affects families through deep suffering and bereavement.

At least 72 women were killed in the country between January 1 and April 4 this year, including eight women killed during a single ten-day period last month. Marie Therese Abena Ondoua, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, stated that these reports include serial predation, intimate partner violence, and cases involving suspicious circumstances that authorities are investigating.

Recent incidents include the August 22 death of 34-year-old Modestine in Douala, who was allegedly killed by her husband with a butcher's knife in front of their two children. In the capital city of Yaoundé, police discovered the body of 44-year-old Beguel Crescence Merline in a hotel room on August 26 with stab wounds.