Friday, March 19, 2010

forced marriage in Cameroon

The Judge and the government lawyer wanted to know:
-is psychological help available in the old country?
-why did your father call you stupid? why did he hit you? what were his reasons?
what weapons did he use to hit you? as he was hitting you, what words did he say?
-what immediate injuries did you have? one week later, what were your injuries? now, it is three years later; what are your injuries today that are physical? any "mental" scars today?
-do all the men in your tribe practice polygamy, of just some of them?
-you say you are a Christian; so, did you get married in a Christian ceremony? did you go to church in the old country? do you go to church here in the USA? did your pastor write a letter of support for you?
-you say that Mr. X paid a bride price? how much? how come you do not know?
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tell me about all of your brothers and sisters. Where are they now, when did you last speak to each one, and what did they say about your problems?
-Sister #1: was she the victim of a forced marriage? why not?
Sister #2: was she the victim of a forced marriage? why not?
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you say your Father punched you. Did you ever go to the police and tell them? why not?
If the police did not know about your problems, then it is not their fault if your problems continued, is it?
-Before seeking asylum in USA, shouldn't you try to solve your problems in your own country?
-did you ever ask anyone for help? who?

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