Spousal abuse, a silent vice

Beatrice Nyinawumuntu (not real name), reported a case at the directorate of Anti-GBV and child abuse office at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) heaquarters in Kigali about the psychological harassment she’s faced at the hands of her husband. According to Nyinawumuntu, she is suffering from psychological torture from her husband, who accuses her of “all sorts of bad things including infidelity.” “We got married out of the love we had for each other. But ever since I got a job and started working, my husband started showing signs of insecurity. ‘‘He began abusing me physically and ordered me to always get back home before 6pm,” the mother of three narrated. “One weekend, we attended a wedding together. But to my surprise, he left the wedding venue without informing me and went back home. ‘‘I waited patiently thinking he was still around talking with different people, I tried to call him but he was not answering my call. ‘‘On noticing that it was getting late and I could not wait longer, I decided to go back home. ‘‘When I got there, I found the house locked. He was inside but he refused to open for me,” she added. It was until police intervened in the middle of the night after she reported the matter to police. The officers faced resistance, so together with Nyinawumuntu, they got into the house forcefully. According to the victim, at the time, she feared that the husband could as well hurt their children, who were crying from inside for their mother. “We were forced to break the door and enter. We found Nyinawumuntu’s husband had locked himself in a room with three of their children, one of whom was only six months old and in need of the mother’s care,” Superintendent Beline Mukamana, the Director for Anti-Gender-Based Violence and Child Abuse Directorate ,at RNP, said. This is one of the many cases that, at times, go unreported, sometimes resulting into other forms of bloody domestic violence. Spousal abuse is a problem that is entrenched in many societies all over the world and Rwanda is no exception. Superintendent Mukamana believes that although societal awareness and condemnation of the problem has increased, spousal abuse remains a hidden crime. Statistics indicate that the Directorate of Anti Gender-Based Violence and Child Abuse handles at least 15 such cases every month, although it is believed that many victims don’t break silence on such violence. Superintendent Mukamana, however, notes that these statistics are higher compared to the past, and this is attributed to increased education and public awareness of the devastating impacts of spousal abuse. “It is hidden and most times repetitive because of the power and control held by the abuser and the fear, intimidation and humiliation suffered by the victim,” she says. “Spousal abuse often occurs in marriage, whereby one partner seeks to dominate and exert influence over the other. In so doing, the relationship often deteriorates and may become violent.” Such violence is usually emotional, verbal, psychological, financial, physical and sexual in nature. Superintendent Mukamana explained that some victims are held back by traditional beliefs. The victim, therefore, decides not to break the silence. “Police stations across the country have a mandate to follow up on and combat all criminal cases, including those related to gender based violence, and spousal abuse, in particular. We also have specialised officers who deal with such cases of domestic violence, including sensitising communities and helping victims,” she says. “When such cases are not solved, they end up in regrettable circumstances, including extreme violence, rape, and child abandonment and, in the worst scenario, murder.” Mukamana urged victims of spousal abuse not to feel as though they are to blame, but to come out and report in order to allow police intervention. “Once one partner starts to experience such abuse, they need to report immediately; otherwise, this abuse is likely to escalate into more frequent and serious attacks,” she notes. “Everyone should come out to strongly condemn spousal abuse.”

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Spousal abuse, a silent vice