NYAGATARE-Many residents in Nyagatare District are reluctant to report cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV), it has emerged.

Officials from Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) say that cultural beliefs have contributed to their reluctance to seek medical or judicial intervention.

Vital Kayiranga, a nurse at Nyagatare hospital, noted that residents should be advised to seek medical attention immediately after an incident, and then report the case to Police.

"People, especially women and girls, should not rush to police after being raped or defiled. They should first go to health facilities,” he advised.

According to the police in the district, a number of GBV victims report to Police without medical reports, which complicates their work.

"We cannot confirm whether someone has been raped or defiled before she presents a medical report,” a police official told The New Times.

During a two-day-assessment of the GBV situation in the district, Patrick Mico, a gender based violence expert at the GMO, called on district stakeholders to step up efforts to alert residents on how to report cases.

He said that there was need for concerted efforts in uprooting GBV in the district.

Mico pointed out that the purpose of the assessment was to identify the services GBV victims receive.

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