Due to violence and mistreatment done particularly to men who are often injured, threatened, chased from their families by their wives etc, the Association for Protecting Men and Human beings in Distress (APDH) has stood up for men’s protection – By Yves Didier Irakoze
Vincent Bukuru: “Everyone must know that violence affects both sexes. Men and women should work hand in hand to fight against any kind of violence and mistreatment in families.” ©Iwacu
Joseph Twagirayezu aged 55, a father of 3children living at Cibitoke says that he was in good relations with his wife long ago though things have got worse and worse before leaving his own property. Later on, his wife started to change her mentality as well as attitude towards him and pushed her children to be against him.
“Astonishingly enough, one day, I have been called to court and compelled to pay alimony to my wife while we were still living together! What is worse I was immediately taken to jail after my wife and children as well as the police and lawyer had plotted against me,” states Twagirayezu very angrily.
He mentions he is lucky to have been freed from jail but since that day he has always been mistreated by his wife and children. He adds that he doesn’t have any say in his family and even his rented houses are under his wife’s authority.
“I once escaped and went to live away from home for 8 months to avoid problems. Still, I was pursued by my wife and children who accused me wrongly that I was a witch and in complicity with my neighbors I was threatened with death,” he complains.
Thanks to APDH Burundi, my case is now pending in court; they help and advise me a lot how I can behave in that terrible situation.
Amani Vianney, father of 3 children living at Gihosha states that he was living peacefully with his wife before realizing that this one was unfaithful to him with his friends until she removed her ring and threw it to him. Then, she made up her mind to go and rent her own house in order to meet freely any men she needed.
“Then, I appealed to APDH Burundi though the situation remains similar because my wife is still away and I only live with my children,” points out Amani.
According to Vincent Bukuru, Chairman of APDH Burundi, women are not the only ones who go through violence and abuse by their husbands; men are also victims of mistreatment by their wives as it is commonly known that they are injured, humiliated and threatened in their families. In some cases, Bukuru says there are men who are threatened by other men because their wives have become unfaithful.
He highlights that since March this year they have received 67 cases of husbands who complain about mistreatment and injury by their wives and 15 cases of women vice versa.
“There are other types of violence which are verbal, physical, psychological, moral, sometimes causing misunderstanding, divorce or suicide in families,” he states.
He adds that this association helps those men who come to APDH Burundi follow up their cases in court, they are given a lawyer and we advice them how to behave in such situations.
Women as well as men are concerned by violence and abuse in families
“Everyone must know that violence affects both sexes. Men and women should work hand in hand to fight against any kind of violence and mistreatment in families. Then, if the government considers only brutality or bad treatment done to women, this may create partiality and impartiality to both sexes. So, authorities either males or females should be objective as far as they can to deal with these kinds of situations,” points out Bukuru.
According to him, the government should create seminars, sessions, workshops or meetings to educate people to create the atmosphere and sense of equality, equity, tolerance, good understanding, objectivity… for the sake of violence eradication in their different families.
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