Douala : Seven-Year-Old Under Medical Care After Abuse by Aunt
A seven-year-old girl was hospitalised after suffering severe abuse at the hands of her aunt in the Nkolbon neighborhood, Douala, Littoral region.
In a viral video seen by CNA, the child, identified as Mercy, is shown tied up with chains and ropes, fastened with a padlock, and her hands immobilized behind her back as she cries in distress. Police officers from the Public Security Police Station of the 16th District later rescued her from what appeared to be a living room.
Family sources say Mercy was placed in her aunt’s care because her mother suffers from mental illness. Neighbours, however, report that this was not the first time the child had been subjected to such brutal mistreatment, revealing they had intervened several times in the past to rescue her.
The act has been widely condemned both online and offline, with many calling for justice and stronger measures against child abuse.
The Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family has strongly condemned what she described as “unacceptable acts of violence, which gravely undermine the dignity and fundamental rights of children in general, and girls in particular.” In a statement issued in September, the Minister urged the public to report any case of child abuse or violation of children’s rights by dialing the toll-free number 116.
