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.