Rape of minor reveals how unprepared Cameroon is for male-on-male crime
‘Break the silence!’ One Advocacy Africa seeks improved care for rape victims
By Steeves Winner
On Sept. 9, 2025, at around 3 p.m., an act of alleged same-sex rape was reported in the Nsimalen neighborhood of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. According to initial reports, a 26-year-old man allegedly sexually abused a 16-year-old minor in a private home.
The alleged perpetrator is currently on the run. An investigation was opened by the Territorial Gendarmerie Brigade, which is continuing its investigations with a view to his arrest. The victim, in a state of shock and in need of psychological and medical care, was referred to a health facility.
The young boy was well received there despite the fact that the staff was unfamiliar with how to handle male rape victims, which differs from the more familiar cases of rape involving women and girls.
The LGBTI rights organization One Advocacy Africa reacted strongly, denouncing both the rape and Cameroonian medical facilities’ widespread lack of preparation for such cases.
In a public statement about the rape, the organization said that “sexual violence against minors, regardless of their gender or orientation, must be treated with the same rigor, dignity, and urgency.”
One Advocacy Africa called on Cameroonian authorities to:
- Break the institutional silence surrounding same-sex sexual violence;
- Guarantee inclusive and non-stigmatizing care for victims of same-sex rape;
- Strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and medical personnel to intervene in sensitive cases; and
- Document and make visible same-sex rape and other sexual violence, which is often ignored in official statistics.
The organization said that the rape case highlights several persistent flaws in authorities’ response to same-sex sexual violence:
- The absence of support mechanisms for rape victims, particularly minors;
- The lack of accepted protocols for same-sex sexual violence, often overlooked in institutional reports; and
- The need to strengthen documentation and coordination between justice, health, and social protection.
Steeves Winner, the author of this article, is a Cameroonian journalist who writes under a pseudonym. Contact him at steeves.w@yahoo.com.
