JUSTICE FOR DIANE YANGWO: Eric Bekobe Sentenced to 20 Years in prison

Justice for Diane Yangwo must be more than a verdict; it must be a turning point.

The Littoral Court of Appeal in Douala delivered its final decision, sentencing Eric Bekobe to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for “fatal assault” in the femicide case of his wife, Diane Yangwo. Presiding Judge Billong Raymond maintained the initial charge and rejected the request to reclassify the crime as assassination. An arrest warrant has been issued for the immediate execution of the sentence. While this ruling, delivered on October 15, 2025, brings a measure of relief, it must also send an unmistakable message: violence against women is not a private matter, not a minor offense, and not a crime to be minimized by the justice system.

This sentence stands in stark contrast to the initial ruling: a five-year suspended sentence and a fine of only 52,000 FCFA, approximately $84, handed down by Judge Medou Dany L’Or. That decision rightly sparked nationwide outrage because it appeared to reduce a woman’s life, dignity, and fundamental rights to a symbolic penalty. Such dehumanizing verdicts weaken public trust, embolden abusers, and tell women that their suffering can be dismissed.

For the record, on November 18, 2023, Diane Yangwo, a teacher in Douala, died after being brutally beaten by her husband, Eric Bekobe, at the hospital where their child was admitted. The autopsy revealed internal hemorrhaging caused by repeated blows. Her death is not an isolated tragedy; it is part of a broader and alarming pattern of femicide and gender-based violence that demands urgent institutional response.

In the face of rising femicide cases in Cameroon, we renew our demand for accountability. We call for the resignation of Judge Dany De L’Or Medou, whose initial verdict was a grave failure of justice and a blatant affront to women’s fundamental rights and human dignity. Judges who issue rulings that trivialize violence against women must be held accountable. The justice system must protect women, honor victims, and affirm—without hesitation—that women’s lives matter, women’s rights are human rights, and no verdict should ever dehumanize those who can no longer speak for themselves. Please keep signing and sharing our petition.