…as Maseru Urban records highest burden
…92.6% of reported abuse occurs within intimate relationships
Seithati Motšoeneng
SPOUSAL violence remains the leading form of gender-based violence (GBV) in Lesotho, with married women identified as the group most at risk, according to new statistics released by the police Child and Gender Protection Unit (CGPU).
The report, which covers the period from January to May 2026, recorded 215 GBV cases involving current or former intimate relationships, with spouses accounting for 92 cases, nearly half of all reported incidents.
Current intimate partners accounted for 59 cases, while violence involving lovers made up 48 cases.
Former partners were linked to 16 cases, the smallest category but one that highlights the continued risk of abuse even after relationships end.
Overall, 199 of the 215 reported cases (92.6 percent) involved current or former intimate relationships, underscoring that GBV in Lesotho overwhelmingly occurs within close personal relationships rather than between strangers.
The report further recorded 216 GBV victims during the five-month period. Of these, 202 (93.5 percent) were women and girls, 13 (6.0 percent) were men and boys, while one case was reported directly by police.
The figures confirm that women and girls continue to bear the greatest burden of gender-based violence in Lesotho.
The report also reveals distinct age trends across different relationship categories.
Adults accounted for the majority of victims in marital relationships, with 51 adult victims recorded among spouses. In contrast, young people featured prominently in dating relationships, with youth and minors accounting for 49 of the 59 intimate partner cases and 35 of the 48 cases involving lovers.
According to the report, these patterns highlight the vulnerability of younger people in dating relationships while showing that married adults remain particularly susceptible to domestic violence.
The CGPU further noted that violence frequently persists even after relationships end, with former partners implicated in 16 reported cases during the review period.
Geographically, Maseru Urban emerged as the country’s GBV hotspot, accounting for 133 of the 215 reported cases (61.9 percent) between January and May. The district recorded a sharp increase from just two cases in January to 42 in April, before declining to 26 in May.
The report identified April as the worst month nationally, with 61 cases, while January recorded the fewest at 14 cases. Apart from Maseru Urban, only Berea (17 cases) and Thaba-Tseka (13 cases) registered more than 10 reported incidents during the period.
According to the CGPU, Maseru Urban’s high numbers may be explained by its larger population and better-established reporting systems, including police stations and victim support services, which make it easier for survivors to report abuse. However, the report also cautions that the figures could reflect a genuinely higher incidence of GBV in urban areas because of population density, economic pressures and other social factors.
While the statistics reflect only cases formally reported to police, the CGPU acknowledges that gender-based violence remains significantly under-reported due to stigma, fear of retaliation and limited access to support services in some parts of the country.
Speaking to the Lesotho Times yesterday, Police Headquarters CGPU Coordinator, Senior Inspector Petje Teke, said police were concerned by the rising number of reported cases.
“As police, we continue to put efforts in place to help curb the surge,” he said.
He said the unit continued to conduct awareness campaigns in communities to educate the public about the dangers of GBV and encourage victims to report abuse.
“We also post on our social media pages cases of GBV where perpetrators have met the full might of the law to instil fear in those contemplating such acts and to bring closure to the victims,” Senior Inspector Teke said.
