Dar es Salaam: Rights violations ‘increased in 2012’

By Katare Mbashiru, The Citizen Reporter.

A report by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) in collaboration with the Zanzibar Legal Services Centre has revealed that incidents of human rights violations increased last year.

The 2012 Human Rights Report launched yesterday in Dar es Salaam indicates that - compared to 2011 - incidences of mob justice among civilians escalated at an alarming rate.

The research, which featured all regions of the country, revealed that 1,234 people were killed in acts of violence as of December, 2012. Many of them were suspects of theft and witchcraft. Nine law enforcers were also killed by mobs when discharging their duties, the report notes.

The 11th LHRC survey shows that Mara Region was among the leading regions in mob violence. The survey revealed that an average of 40 people were being killed annually in the region, with the leading districts being Bunda, Serengeti and Musoma Rural.

According to the findings, gender-based violence has been on the rise, the existence of the Sexual Offences Special Provision Act, 1998, notwithstanding.

Presenting the report, LHRC Researcher, Mr Patience Mlowe, said the survey found out that more than 1,000 school girls were affected by Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Mara Region at the end of last year. He said children and women remained vulnerable groups and victims of rape and physical torture. The official statistics showed that 6,046 cases of rape were reported whereby 567 of the victims were children.

Source: The Citizen (30/04/2013): http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/-/31011-rights-violations-increased-in-2012