Crime in Gabon

Reported offences in Gabon include pickpocketing, theft of unattended property, smash-and-grab attacks, vehicle break-ins, residential and business robbery, armed robbery, mugging and carjacking. Taxi passengers may face assault or robbery, while card and ATM fraud can occur. Sexual violence and rape are reported. Coastal areas also face piracy and armed robbery against vessels. Trafficking can involve children or adults for sexual or labour exploitation, with migrant children particularly vulnerable. Gender-based violence, locally called violence basée sur le genre (VBG), includes domestic and intimate-partner violence as well as physical, sexual, economic and psychological abuse. Underreporting is likely where stigma, family pressure or dependence affects the victim's decision to seek help. A 2016 national survey found that 68.5% of 2,500 respondents reported at least one form of gender-based violence during the previous 12 months. A separate 2019–2021 survey summary reported physical or sexual violence among 48% of women aged 15–49. These figures describe specific surveys and periods; they are not current nationwide crime-rate measurements. In Libreville and Port-Gentil, avoid isolated beaches, remote or poorly lit streets and unnecessary travel alone at night. Keep phones, electronics, jewellery and large amounts of cash out of sight. In a vehicle, lock the doors, close the windows, place valuables in the boot and use well-lit parking and main roads. Do not pick up strangers. Use a licensed taxi, arrange it through a known booking channel where possible, agree the fare before entering and avoid travelling alone in a taxi at night. Meetings arranged through dating applications are safer in public places with location sharing and without moving directly to a hotel or private apartment. Use cards at guarded locations, choose an ATM inside a bank or in a well-lit place, shield the PIN and monitor account statements. During a robbery, avoid resistance and surrender property or the vehicle if necessary. At a checkpoint or roadblock, stop and carry identity documents, a passport where relevant, a driving licence and vehicle registration. Lawful checks should be distinguished from alleged demands for illicit payments; record details only when doing so is safe. The formal police system includes the Forces de Police Nationale under the Ministry of the Interior and the Gendarmerie Nationale under the Ministry of Defence. A commissariat is a police station, while a brigade de gendarmerie is a gendarmerie station. Specialised units include EMPIJ for judicial investigations, DPTS for forensic work and OCAD for drug-related matters. The FARIAJ police digitisation project is intended to support automated identity and judicial-record searches. Infrastructure and police capacity are being expanded, but response reliability and resources vary by location. Emergency-number information is inconsistent. Official advisories publish 177 and 1722 as police numbers, and additional local numbers exist for Libreville and Port-Gentil; their reliability is not guaranteed. French may be needed, and emergency response can be limited in remote areas. In immediate danger, contact the police when possible. For an incident that has ended, report it at the nearest commissariat or brigade de gendarmerie, ask for a plainte and request a reference for the report. No verified nationwide online crime-reporting portal was identified, and public sources do not specify standard reporting costs or deadlines. After an injury or sexual violence, seek a medical facility as soon as possible and preserve clothing, messages, photographs, location information and witness details. Do not confront a suspected offender to obtain evidence. Women affected by gender-based violence can call the free counselling and orientation service on 1404. Reported support also includes a gender-based-violence unit at the Commissariat d'Akanda and protection and social-advancement centres, although shelter, psychological and medical availability varies. A legal-aid office for vulnerable people was announced as planned in 2025, but its establishment and current status are not confirmed. Children are protected under the Code de l'Enfant until they reach 18. The framework addresses sexual, physical and psychological violence, harassment, abduction, ransom, arbitrary detention, trafficking, harmful child labour and online sexual solicitation involving children under 15. The Ministry of Social Affairs includes the AMPE child-protection mechanism, and a children's judge or children's court can order protective measures. SuperMwana provides a free child-support line at 1412, and child-protection police units operate in 54 communes. Police, social workers, family members and witnesses can be involved, but resources, coordination and juvenile justice capacity remain uneven; most provincial prisons lack juvenile sections, and overcrowding has been reported in Libreville. Migrant girls face particular exposure to labour exploitation and violence. Gabon’s Law 027/2023 regulates cybersecurity and cybercrime. Cybercrime covers offences committed through or against an electronic network or information system. Fraudulent access can attract up to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to CFA 100,000,000; the law also addresses fraudulent identity or email marketing, privacy violations and offences affecting systems or data. Public sources do not confirm an operational national cybercrime intake service or specialised national computer emergency response team. Preserve email headers, screenshots, account records, payment evidence and device information, notify the relevant platform or service provider and submit a criminal complaint at a commissariat or brigade de gendarmerie. ARCEP can be relevant to telecommunications or provider issues, but it does not replace a criminal complaint. Law 006/2021 addresses the prevention, prosecution and elimination of violence against women, and its rape definition includes marital rape. Victims retain access to police, medical and social channels, but a report does not guarantee prosecution or compensation. Children's confidentiality and best interests require special protection, including avoiding disclosure of a child's identity. Detailed criminal-law questions belong to the criminal-law topic; here the focus is the practical safety risk, prevention, reporting and support pathway.