On 11 December 2022, the Cameroon Human Rights
Commission (CHRC) became aware, via WhatsApp, of an alleged case of violation of the right to the physical
and moral integrity of Miss NGUEDE Francisca Ernestine, aged 17 impregnated by
ONDENE ZOBO Elizée. When the young girl was already four months into her
pregnancy her parents wanted her to have
an abortion. Her parents locked up in a room and allegedly tried to make her drink
traditional potions to induce an abortion.
Mr
ONDENE ZOBO Elizée, the author of the pregnancy,
sought the CHRC's intervention to preserve his child’s life. The
Chair of the Sub-Commission on the Protection of Human Rights was informed of
the facts and instructed a
fact-finding visit. The CHRC's
Observation, Investigation and Alert Unit (OIA) conducted the visit to
Miss NGUEDE Francisca's family residence in Nkolondom Centre Region.
The CHRC, implementing its protection missions
as part of a conciliatory procedure between the two conflicting families as
regards whether or not to allow the pregnancy, informed the parties of the
provisions of the Cameroon Penal Code particularly Section 337(2), which states
that "Whoever procures the abortion
of a woman, notwithstanding her consent, shall be punished with imprisonment
for from one to five years and with fine of from one hundred thousand to two
million francs" and the harmful consequences this act could have on
the young girl's reproductive health.
The
conciliation session resulted in an agreement between the two families
consisting of abandoning the abortion project and Mr ONDENE ZOBO, the complainant family, committed to assume responsibility
for the pregnancy and take care of the child as soon as it was born.
The CHRC calls upon anyone
who is a victim or witness of a human rights violation to report it through its
toll-free number 1523.
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