Bafoussam woman hospitalized after machete attack by husband

BAFOUSSAM, Cameroon (CNA)- A woman in Bafoussam, Sylvie Pokam, is recovering in the regional hospital after being attacked with a machete by her husband on July 20, 2024.

According to Pokam, 30, her husband Alexis Tagne accused her of neglecting their sick child and infidelity. He allegedly beat her before attacking her with a machete to the head, arms, and legs while she was unconscious.

“I was in shock,” Pokam said from her hospital bed. “He accused me of being pregnant for another man, but I wasn’t pregnant. When I denied it, he insisted and demanded I get an abortion. That’s when he started hitting me.”

Pokam regained consciousness in the hospital but doesn’t know who brought her there. She maintains her innocence and denies being pregnant.

Tagne, contacted by phone, expressed regret for his actions. “I overreacted,” he admitted. “I was told she was seeing someone else and pregnant, but that doesn’t justify what I did. I sincerely apologize to Sylvie and my in-laws.”

Sylvie Pokam remains hospitalized but is reported to be in stable condition.