Yaoundé: gov’t orders investigation after 15 underage girls were found in Essos apartment ⁰

Cameroonian authorities have opened an investigation after 15 underage girls were found in a home in Yaoundé’s Essos district on September 2, while the government has ordered protection and psychosocial support for the children as investigators work to establish why they were there.

In a statement issued on September 4, Social Affairs Minister Pauline Irène Nguene condemned “any act likely to harm the physical or moral integrity of children” and announced that the relevant government services had taken responsibility for their care.

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS), authorities intervened after receiving an anonymous report. The circumstances that brought the children to the house on Rue des Pavés remain unclear. The ministry said they “may have been held by individuals” and that investigations are underway to establish the facts and determine any potential responsibility.

MINAS services, alongside other relevant government agencies, have been mobilized to protect the minors, ensure their safety and provide psychosocial support. Nguene also urged the public to report missing or vulnerable children, or suspected cases of trafficking, exploitation or violence, through the 1503 hotline.

According to Cameroon Tribune, 15 underage girls were found at the property on September 2. Two women who were at the scene were also taken to Yaoundé’s Central Police Station No. 4. Authorities have not officially established that a child-trafficking network was involved, nor have they explained why the girls were being kept at the house.

Anne Féconde Noah Calls for Severe Penalties

Anne Féconde Noah, vice president of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN), praised the intervention by law enforcement and residents who helped with the operation. She called for investigators to identify everyone who may have been involved.

The opposition official also demanded particularly severe penalties for anyone ultimately found guilty. If investigators establish that the children suffered abuse, Noah wants the death penalty imposed on the perpetrators, accomplices and others who participated in the acts.

If no physical abuse is established, she has called for life imprisonment without the possibility of a pardon, along with strict limits on prison visits. Her demands come before investigators have established the precise conditions in which the children were living, where they came from or the responsibility of the people detained.

Source: Sbbc