“GBV Cases Drop, But Sexual Abuse of Children Rises”

By Alain Kabinda

For every number recorded in Zambia’s Gender-Based Violence statistics, there is a human story—someone who experienced fear, violence, intimidation, neglect or abuse.

That reality is reflected in the latest figures from the Zambia Police Service, which show that while the country recorded a significant decline in reported Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases during the fourth quarter of 2025, women, girls and children continued to bear the greatest burden.

Between September 1 and December 31, 2025, police recorded 9,707 GBV cases countrywide, compared with 12,378 cases during the same period in 2024.

The figures represent a reduction of 2,671 cases, or 21.6 percent.

Of the 9,707 cases, 6,796 were criminal, while 2,911 were classified as non-criminal. And although the overall number fell, sexual abuse cases moved in the opposite direction, increasing by 5.6 percent.

Women and girls accounted for the overwhelming majority of victims recorded during the quarter.

Of the 9,707 victims, 7,682, or 79.1 percent, were female, while 2,025, representing 20.9 percent, were male.

The figures become even more concerning when children are considered.

A total of 2,716 children were reported to have been abused during the period.

Among these, 2,027 were victims of criminal GBV cases—comprising 1,571 girls and 456 boys.

The numbers illustrate how gender and age intersect in the country's GBV problem, with girls particularly exposed to sexual and other forms of abuse.

Behind the statistics are children whose experiences can affect their education, relationships, psychological wellbeing and future prospects.

Geographically, Lusaka recorded the highest number of criminal GBV cases during the quarter.

The province recorded 1,483 cases, accounting for 22 percent of the national total.

Luapula followed with 1,055 cases, while Western recorded 849 and Copperbelt 771.

Eastern recorded 592 cases and Central 547.

Southern had 404 cases, Muchinga 394, North-Western 359 and Northern 224.

At divisional level, TAZARA recorded the lowest number with 50 cases, followed by Airport Division with 70.

The differences between provinces, however, do not necessarily mean that violence is more prevalent in areas with higher reported figures.

Reporting behaviour, population size, access to police services, awareness of GBV and the availability of support mechanisms can all influence recorded cases.

Physical abuse remained the most commonly reported form of GBV.

Police recorded 3,689 physical abuse cases, only slightly lower than the 3,718 cases recorded during the fourth quarter of 2024.

Of these, 3,076 involved Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm (OABH).

Lusaka accounted for the largest share, recording 733 OABH cases.

Copperbelt followed with 328 cases, Western with 314, Eastern with 300 and Central with 292.

Muchinga recorded 269 cases, Luapula 239, North-Western 211, Southern 187 and Northern 165.

The figures also included 29 murder cases, compared with 36 during the same period in 2024, as well as eight attempted murder cases.

These cases demonstrate the potentially fatal consequences of violence that may begin with less severe forms of abuse.

Economic abuse accounted for 1,784 cases during the quarter, with many involving failure or neglect to provide necessities of life.

This is a fictionalised composite survivor account created from the forms of Gender-Based Violence reflected in the Zambia Police Service’s fourth-quarter 2025 statistics. It does not represent a specific individual.

Speaking to one of the resident by the of Chanda (Not Real name) in Lusaka by Daily News said that For years, “home” was supposed to mean safety.

For one woman, however, home became the place where she learned to live with fear.

At first, they appeared to be ordinary arguments—raised voices, accusations and words that left her wondering what she had done wrong.

“I started changing the way I behaved because I was always trying to avoid another argument,” she recalls.

She stopped speaking about certain things. She became careful about what she said and when she said it.

One of the most difficult parts of her experience was recognising that what was happening to her was abuse.

There were no obvious signs to people outside the home. She could go to work. She could meet people. She could smile.

She also faced financial difficulties that made leaving the relationship more complicated.

Without enough money to immediately establish an independent home and meet basic needs, the decision to leave was not as simple as outsiders might imagine.

“I kept thinking about what would happen if I left,” she says.

That uncertainty kept her in the relationship longer than she wanted.

Her experience reflects one of the less visible dimensions of GBV: economic abuse.

According to Zambia Police Service statistics, 1,784 cases of economic abuse were recorded during the fourth quarter of 2025, many involving failure or neglect to provide necessities of life.

She worried that people would ask why she had stayed, why she had not left earlier or why she had allowed the situation to continue.

Instead, she was encouraged to seek help. That first conversation changed something.

She realised that seeking help was not an admission of weakness. It was a decision to protect herself. She eventually approached authorities and was connected to support services. For the first time in years, she began speaking openly about what she had experienced.

She learned that healing could involve rebuilding confidence, learning to trust again and understanding that the violence was not her fault.

Her experience mirrors the importance of victim-support services in the national GBV response.

During the fourth quarter of 2025, the Zambia Police Victim Support Unit provided professional counselling to 7,957 victims and offenders, while victims were referred to courts and other service providers for further assistance and protection.

‘I want other women to speak’

Today, the survivor says the most important lesson from her experience is that silence can make an abusive situation even more difficult to escape.

She believes people experiencing violence should know that asking for help is an option.

“I wish I had spoken earlier,” she said.

“But I also know that people need to understand that leaving is not always easy. Sometimes a person needs support, protection and someone to believe them.”

Her story is only one possible experience behind the thousands of GBV cases recorded across Zambia.

The police recorded 9,707 GBV cases between September and December 2025, including physical, economic, sexual and emotional abuse.

Although the overall number represented a 21.6 percent decline from the same period in 2024, sexual abuse increased by 5.6 percent, while 689 child defilement cases were recorded.

They represent fear, disrupted lives, difficult decisions and, for some, the long journey towards recovery.

And for those still living with violence, the first step towards change may simply be finding the courage to say:

“This is happening to me, and I need help.”

Economic abuse can leave victims dependent on perpetrators for food, shelter, education, healthcare or other basic needs.

For people trapped in financially abusive relationships, leaving can become particularly difficult when they lack independent income or resources.

The figures therefore underline the importance of recognising GBV as more than physical violence.

Perhaps the most concerning development in the latest statistics is the increase in sexual abuse.

Police recorded 1,022 sexual abuse cases, compared with 968 during the fourth quarter of 2024.

That represents an increase of 54 cases, or 5.6 percent.

Within this category were 689 child defilement cases, with girls making up the majority of victims.

Lusaka recorded 197 child defilement cases—the highest provincial figure.

Eastern recorded 104, Southern 84, while Copperbelt and Central each recorded 59.

Western recorded 49, North-Western 46, Luapula 34, Muchinga 31 and Northern 20.

TAZARA recorded four cases and Airport Division two.

The statistics also included 159 rape cases, 19 attempted rape cases, 75 indecent assault cases and 20 incest cases.

The increase raises important questions about child protection, reporting, access to justice and the environments in which children are exposed to sexual abuse.

Emotional abuse recorded fewer cases than physical, economic or sexual abuse, but its impact should not be underestimated.

Police recorded 296 emotional abuse cases, down from 359 in the corresponding period of 2024.

Insulting language accounted for 99 cases, while threats of violence accounted for 66.

Emotional abuse can be difficult to identify and report because it may occur privately and without visible injuries.

Yet repeated insults, intimidation and threats can have serious consequences and may accompany or precede physical violence.

The police response to GBV extends beyond investigation and prosecution.

During the fourth quarter, the Victim Support Unit provided professional counselling to 7,957 victims and offenders.

Victims were also referred to courts and other service providers for additional support and protection.

Such services are critical because survivors may require more than police intervention.

They may need medical care, psychosocial support, legal assistance, safe accommodation and protection from further abuse.

Effective GBV response therefore depends on cooperation between law enforcement agencies, health institutions, courts, social services, communities and civil society organisations.

The 21.6 percent decline in reported GBV cases is an important development, but it should be viewed alongside the increases recorded in sexual abuse.

The statistics show that Zambia's GBV challenge is not disappearing.

Rather, it is changing across different forms of abuse and affecting different groups in different ways.

The particularly high number of children affected by criminal GBV—and the increase in child defilement cases—means that prevention and protection of children must remain central to the national response.

The Zambia Police Service has called for continued collaboration with communities, stakeholders and partner institutions to strengthen prevention, protection and response mechanisms.

The task now is to ensure that fewer people experience violence in the first place, while those who do are able to report safely, receive appropriate support and access justice.

Because behind the 9,707 cases is not simply a statistic.

There are families dealing with consequences that may last long after a police report has been filed.

And there is a society being challenged to confront violence not only when it becomes visible, but before it happens.