KIGALI - Cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) reduced by 4.9 percent in 2009 from 2,646 cases registered in 2008 to 2,523, according to a new police report.

The report, seen by The New Times, indicates that sexual abuse topped the GBV crime list with 1,570 cases recorded, despite having decreased by 30.6 percent from 2,051 cases the previous year.

Defilement and abortion were the second and third most recorded cases with 297 and 66 cases respectively.

50 cases of children killed by their parents were registered, 28 people committed suicide, 16 women were killed by their husbands and six men killed by their wives.

Most of the registered cases, the report indicates, were committed in homes, schools, work places and congregations.

It further outlines child labour, sexual abuse, heavy punishments, refusal to give basic necessities and rights and forced abortion and killings as some of problems faced by the girl child.

The report comes at a time the national police is holding a GBV week which ends today to prevent and fight the vice in the country.

Meanwhile, the national police has set up a free counselling and treatment ward of people facing GBV at the police hospital in Kacyiru.

Oda Gasinzigwa, the head of the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), said last Friday while addressing several clerics in the country that reporting such cases will enable the police prevent and fight the vice.

Ends