REUTERS
A victim of domestic violence shows her head wound patched up with tape in a women's shelter in Papua New Guinea's capital city of Port Moresby. Port Moresby has been rated the worst city in the world to live, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Gareth Manning, Gleaner Writer
WHILE CASES of rape and carnal abuse dropped in 2005, the number of women murdered increased, preliminary figures from the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) show.
Some 187 women were murdered in 2005, compared to a total of 141 killed in 2004, an increase of 32.6 per cent. Carnal abuse, however, is down to 333 reported cases, compared to 409 in 2004 and reported cases of rape 735, down from 916.
But while there is a reduction in the number of sexual crimes reported, it is clear that a trend of violence against women is growing.
Women killed in domestic violence-related incidents in Jamaica accounted for 21.3 per cent of total murders committed in the island.
REPRISAL KILLING
Apart from domestic violence, women and girls were often the victims of reprisal killing. Such attacks accounted for nearly 30 per cent of murders in 2004. These statistics are believed to have grown significantly last year.
Last October, 10-year-old Shana-Kay Brown, both her grandparents and aunt were burnt to death in their home after gunmen forced the family to stay indoors and torched the house. The killing was said to be a reprisal. To date, no arrests have been made.
A month earlier, 23-year-old Jashrene Reid and her three-month-old son were murdered at their Jacques Road address in Mountain View, Kingston. The killing was also said to be a reprisal. Again, no arrests were made.
Sexual predators preying on women and girls were also responsible for some of 2005's most gruesome murders of women.
GIRLS KILLED
Among the total number of females murdered last year, were two girls from the district of Burnt Savanna in Westmoreland Shaneka Shakes and Shauna-Kay Ledgister, who were abducted, raped and murdered. They were only eight and nine years old, respectively.
A similar fate befell another seven-year-old girl in Kingston in May last year. According to reports, little Shaneika Anderson went missing after a visit with her mother to the Coronation Market in downtown Kingston. As her mother shopped, the two became separated and Shaneika found the company of a little boy. The two were later enticed by a man who promised them patties. The boy later returned after being told by the man that he should go on without Shaneika, because she was not ready.
Her body was found in Rae Town the following day, raped and murdered.
