The Gendarmerie Legion of the East has opened an investigation into the public beating of six girls, approximately 12 years old, by a member of a local vigilante committee. The National Gendarmerie announced the inquiry on its Facebook page on Monday, September 8, 2025, after a video of the incident was widely circulated on social media.
The incident occurred in the village of Bongone Wantamo, in the Ngoura district, about 150 km from Bertoua, the regional capital. According to the gendarmerie, "this barbaric act was motivated by the fact that the young victims, being unmarried, had visited their sister who was already married to a certain Abdou Malou. It was he who asked the vigilante committee to punish the young girls."
Colonel Divine Nnoko Ngide, commander of the Gendarmerie Legion of the East, immediately went to the scene with his team. The primary instigator has been arrested, while two other vigilante committee members involved in the assault are still at large and are being actively sought, the gendarmerie said.
In addition to the investigation, the gendarmerie conducted a public awareness campaign for local residents on children's rights and gender-based violence. The institution also reminded citizens to report any distressing situations to the 24/7 hotline at 113.
Lack of Legal Protections
While a law dated April 14, 1998, prohibits corporal punishment in schools, Cameroon has no specific law banning it in the home or community. The government has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which provides for the protection of minors against all forms of violence, but the practice remains common in the country.
On April 30, on the International Day to End Corporal Punishment of Children, Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family Marie Thérèse Abena Ondoa spoke out against the practice. "Physical violence does not educate, it harms," she said. "The whip, blows, or any other form of corporal punishment are not learning tools. They cause fear, hatred, or loss of self-esteem." She called on community leaders to raise awareness among parents to "reject these harmful practices."
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