Escapee of forced marriage turns lesbian

By Gbor Tani

Nelly Atia

As educated as Nelly Atia is, she would, no doubt, want to choose a man as her husband but that is not the case: she is imposed one, whom she rejects and that begins her ordeal.Her mother too is against forced marriage.

     But the mother’s village traditions and circumstances would deprive Nelly of the right and freedom to decide whom to marry.

    A graduate of the University of Yaounde, Nelly, daughter of an unmarried mother of six, is said to have refused getting married to Esirikum, husband of her late elder sister Esther. According to the village tradition Esirikum,a septuagenarian and polygamist could marry the younger sister of any of his wives, who died as a replacement for the loss. That is how the old man developed interest in Nelly, when his wife Esther died.

   Even as Nelly’s mother is totally against such a marriage, her uncles insist that tradition must prevail else her daughter would face undesired consequences if she turns down the proposal.She could be bewitched, according to villagers.

   Worried, Nelly’s mother reportedly helped her daughter leave the village in Manyu to bring to futility the planned marriage, to the disappointment of family notables.

   Nelly succeeded to escape to Thailand in 2009 but returned to Yaoundé three years later, only to be accused of lesbianism. She is said to have been caught fondling a female relation named Ebangha, whose father is a government official. She was   detained and later released; but it was unclear to this reporter whether Nelly was released on bail or unconditionally.

   Nelly is said to have been pushed into lesbianism because of threats to her life. The old man she refused to marry him had warned her to have no sexual relations with any other man in Cameroon.

Same-sex relationship for which Nelly is accused is a crime in Cameroon.

   According to Section 347 of Cameroon penal code, "Whoever has sexual relationship with a person of the same sex shall be punished with imprisonment from six months to five years and a fine from 20.000Fcfa to 200.000 Fcfa"

   Cameron is one of many countries that have refused to decriminalize same-sex relationship despite mounting press from some Developed countries.

 Yet, reports of cases of homosexuality and lesbianism are common in Cameroon just as the prosecution of their suspects is gaining grounds in the country.