Contributed by Solange Chin

The instability in the North West and South West Region of Cameroon, has greatly affected the inhabitants in particular and the country as a whole. It has not only increased the social, political, and economic ills of the country, but has also given room for some people to take revenge on those that they bear grudges against. Many lives had been lost, houses destroyed, family displaced, girls raped and so on. Others who fled   to other places for safety, end up in a traumatic phase. Some still find difficulties surviving with the trauma as is the case of Tracey an 18 years old girl.

Tracey one of the victims of the crises who fled to Douala to be with her aunt, attempted suicide on Sunday night the fourteenth of October.   According to her aunt’s account, she had tired a rope on the ceiling and was about to wear it on her neck when she entered the room. She was shock to see Tracy in such an act and that it was her in sting that brought her into the room due to the dream she had about her. Fortunately, she walked closely and took the rope from her and cried out. People came to enquire what had actually happened and she narrated Tracy’s attempt to commit suicide.

She further explained that, her niece was kidnapped by unknown men while she was in the village. They demanded for a ransom before she could be release and the fact that Tracy’s mother could not meet their demands on time, she was raped. Moreover, she had taken Tracey to the hospital a week before to check if her health was intact just to find out that, she was three weeks pregnant. Tracey could not bear the pain and shame so she pleaded for an abortion but her request was not granted for the sake of the constraints that, abortion is illegal and equally a sin before God.  She was depressed to the extent that she isolated herself from everyone, cries all the times and even refused to eat yet she could not get over the traumatic experience. Though she is consoled by family members, nothing actually changed.  She concluded by saying that, that could be the sole reason why Tracy attempted suicide.

The neighbors who came to sympathize with her, some   blamed her and equally outline that, they would have accused her of murder if Tracy had taken her own life. A lady even said if abortion could have helped her to get over a traumatic incident as rape, she should have granted her the request because is not easy to live with an evident of pains all through your entire being.

Abortion is illegal and even a sin but a case such as rape not only from a man but men, isn’t it worse than abortion? The psychological trauma the victim goes through, is it not a slow way of killing?

Edited by Nicholine Akou