This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
On December 19, 2019, a local television station reported on a 'Deadly Love Affair' involving a Form Two student who killed a 29-year-old cobbler. The incident has raised questions about the nature of their relationship and the role of violence in it.
According to the police, the 17-year-old girl went to the marketplace and was allegedly forced by the cobbler to do something sexual that she did not want to do. In self-defence, she purchased a knife and stabbed him fatally in the ear.
While some may view this as a tragic love story gone wrong, others see it as a clear case of assault and femicide. The OCPD's suggestion that parents should keep their children in check over the school holidays is a missed opportunity to address the root cause of the problem – men's inability to respect women's boundaries.
It is time to stop referring to murder as love affairs gone wrong. Instead, we should be highlighting the disturbing message that such language communicates to those who read it. Women are constantly being told to be vigilant and avoid situations that may lead to violence, but it is time to hold men accountable for their actions.
