Malawi Police officer linked to teen girl cell sexual assualt arrested
The Malawi Police have finally arrested one of their own after intense pressure and days of intimidation and bully to force a 14-year-old girl in Dowa drop allegations that she was sexually assaulted whilst in custody at Chesepo Police Unit in Dowa District .
Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) officials have confirmed that they have evidence that a police officer, only identified as Sergeant Kayembe is in police custody over the rape which has shocked the nation.
The minor is reported to have been arrested for allegedly using abusive language after being involved in a scuffle at schoolbut was put in custody overnight when the police officer allegedly opened her cell after partially covering his face and sexually abused her.
The police initially said the girl was defiled by another suspect who was in an adjacent cell but the girl said the person who defiled her had keys to her cell, opened the door and duly closed it before the sexual assualt took place.
Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said he did not have information on the arrest of his colleague.
Village headman Khanyo of chief Kayembe’s area in Dowa where the girl comes from said a team of police officers came to the village to meet traditional leaders and offer their apologies for the incident.
Khanyo said the village heads flatly refused the apologies.
Several human rights organisations, including the Malawi Law Society , Women Lawyers Association of Malawi (WLA), YouthNet and Counselling (Yoneco), Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (Chreaa) and Eye of the Child, among others, have taken up the issue to represent the girl after the police decision to bully her and her mother withdraw her claim that she was raped by Kayembe.
Central Region Police Commissioner Innocent Bottomani admitted that his officers erred in arresting the minor and putting her in a cooler where the unfortunate incident happened.
Bottomani said the police initially established that a suspect, who was in the opposite cell, managed to break his door and violated the girl.
“Attempts to re-arrest him were not successful, but he was later captured in Ntchisi where he is being held,” he said.
But organisations said the claim that the girl was defiled by another suspect did not hold.
Sexula assualt case in police custody is not new as there have been similar cases in recent months where police officers have been nabbed on allegations of defiling girls.
In March this year, a police officer at Chimwamkango Police Unit in Mchinji was arrested on suspicion that he defiled a 14-year-old girl, and in September, another police constable at Chilomoni Police Station in Blantyre was arrested for defiling a 15-year-old girl while on duty during the fifth phase of the voter registration exercise.
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I can see that all thieves; law breakers; people who would always shun an arrest for doing wrong thing commenting here.
Ndiye ndikuuzeni nonse mukangoswa lamulo ine ndiye ndine wapolice ndizikumanga heavy. Mumangidwa simuthe.
A Police omwe anamenya nyamata ku Kasungu yemwe ali mchipatala naonso anjatidwe ngati a Botomani muli a chilungamo and nanu amabungwe mwangoti nyooomi ku nkhani yogwirirayi Police Brutality ndiye yakula kwambiri ku Police ma CSO’s nanu mukukondera go and represent nyamata akuphupa kuchipatala wina ndi wa kwa Bvumbwe uja.
vuto lolemba ma Khadeti ndi limenelo Bravo Bishop Tumbuka this is disastorous Bomaaaaa
Also apprehend Ministry of Gender staff who are forcing us the Lady interns to be sleeping with them. One is deputy director and the other mankho (read as in reverse) are pestering us too much mpaka pomatitumizira ma porno kuti titengeke…..they say office sex is part of ministry of gender’s organizational culture. what a culture?
Please come to our rescue…..
sheeee voice out akupatsani matenda agalu amenewa go on chigoba pa facebook name them shame them mxiii
Shaa zosakhala bwinonso bwanji, anthu akufunanso ationongere atsikana wanso abale ?
Bravo police for apprehending the wicked officer! Let just take its course to its full conclusive end that others may learn from him and stop the wickedness.
Limbe Police must also be investigated. Almost two years ago a lady now no more told a chilling story of what happened to her at the station. In hèr case the Police arrested her to force her husband to surrender himself after they failed on numerous occassions to arrest him. A similar thing happened but she fought back.
Is it lawful to arrest a spouse on behalf of his or her partner? Please help stop this excessive abuse of power.
I have no respect for our police who think their uniform gives them the power they do not have.
Malawi Police, people have said it More times beforeoften that is more than useless. The sad side again is that the dumb president will not be seen to stand up and speak against when these unfortunate incidences occur. It just shows the so called president whom We chose to represebt us all is not for us. One would expect him as a leader to show some concern by way of making some remarks on the matter.
Polisi Why?
Tiyamba kukuphani agalu inu. Ntchito kupembedza zitsilu ziliku State House basi ndi kumagwilila ana. Tiyamba kukuphani. Mwanyanya