Teachers in Cameroon are expressing profound condemnation following the recent tragic death of their colleague, Diane Yangwo, at the hands of her husband, Eric.
Diane, a dedicated French and English teacher at the Government Bilingual High School Ndogpassi, met a violent end on Saturday, November 18, succumbing to the brutal beatings inflicted by her husband.
The distressing incident unfolded when Eric returned home and discovered Diane’s absence at a clinic where their nine-month-old child was receiving care. Eric, deeming this excuse unforgivable, resorted to a merciless assault, disregarding Diane’s attempts to explain her actions—she had gone home to prepare a meal for their ailing child.
Colleagues of Diane are grappling with the shock of losing a hardworking and dynamic individual in such a brutal manner. “The news has indeed saddened us. Diane Yangwo was a young girl who was very dynamic and very strong,” lamented a colleague on Equinoxe TV.
Demanding justice, another colleague insisted, “The Cameroonian government needs to ensure that the culprit is brought to justice. He cannot go unpunished.” Diane’s counsellor, shedding light on her ordeal, disclosed that she had been enduring abuse at the hands of her husband for some time before her tragic demise.
After the assault, Eric fled, but security personnel eventually caught up with him on Monday, November 20, 2023. He is now in custody at the Ngodi Bakoko Police Station in Douala, in the Littoral region of Cameroon.
Victims face a significant challenge in Cameroon, as domestic violence is not officially recognized as a distinct crime, lacking a legal definition. Furthermore, there is a dearth of studies assessing domestic violence in Cameroon through the analysis of nationally representative data, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). This means that it might be very difficult for victims of domestic violence to get justice, unless the case was fatal such as that of Diane.
