Malawi Police sexually abuse Nsundwe women

Scores of women and girls  around Msundwe, M’bwatalika and Mpingu Trading Centres in Lilongwe have reported being sexually abused by the Malawi Police officers ,  Nyasa Times has learn.

Victims of rape

The NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGO-GCN) has also said it is  deeply disheartened by allegations of rape, defilement and torture of innocent women and girls in the hands of the law enforcers.

Some women who spoke about the ordeal said they have been condemned to further horrendous abuse by police officers and were  forced to succumb to rape in order to avoid torture.

Jane Yankho (not her real name), 15, said: “I was raped and I also witnessed  horrible sexual exploitation on some women by the police officers.”

In a statement made available to Nyasa Times by NGO Gender Coordination Network and signed by its Chairperson Babra Banda,  condemns the sexual exploitation of women and girls by police.

The statement follows stories involving illegal mounting of roadblocks by some demonstrating residents of Mpingu and  Msundwe on October 8, 2019, and the eventual deployment of police officers to quell the situation,  which led to the  killing of one police officer, Superintendent Usumani Imedi.

While the Organisation is condemning the killing of the officer they are also urging the authorities to trace, apprehend and prosecute all those that participated in the killing of the police officer.

The Network is disturbed with reports that some of the police officers as dispatched to the areas on Wednesday, October  9, 2019, raped women, defiled self-boarding girl students, tortured people, and looted private  property.

The allegations were leveled against the Malawi Police through various interviews.

The first interviewee (name withheld), explained that five police officers invaded her house  about 300 metres away from Mpingu Trading Centre. The officers kicked the door of the  house open and threw teargas in the house where she was then hiding with her children.

They ordered her to go and confine herself into her bedroom. While the family members choked, the officers forced her daughter (name withheld), to take off her clothes at the sitting room.

“I took off my clothes in front of the officer, leaving out an underwear only. He then started beating me for refusing to take off my underwear. I have been bedridden for five days nursing the pain and I  don’t even know whether I am okay internally as I have not gone for medical check-up,” she stated.

From there, these officers invaded a neighbouring house, where three female self-boarders from Mpingu Community Day Secondary School stay, and had been noticed to have ran into  the house to hide. Three of the officers went into the house while the fourth one walked around the door, warning all neighbours to stay in their houses.

The fifth police officer, who  was female, at this time retreated to a stationary police vehicle. The three officers who had  entered the house ordered all the three girls to take off all their clothes, including underwear.The girls complied and two of the girls were told to leave the house upon noticing that they  were having their menstruation period.

The third girl, (name withheld) was ordered to follow  the officers to the bedroom. One of the officers forced himself onto the girl. At this point,  the 16-year-old was crying incessantly attracting the attention of the neighbors who were able to hear the girl say “mundipweteka, mundipweteka chonde.”

Upon their leaving, the girl run out of the house and went missing for two days. Her parents narrated that the girl has yet to return to her normal mind, since the incident.

Another team of police officers invaded Mvuu Village in Traditional Authority M’bwatalika where they stripped a newly-wedded woman, (name withheld) naked. They fondled her private parts. And from her submissions, it was evident that she was raped. Even her mood during the interview could tell a story of a traumatised woman.

She struggled to finish her sentences during the interview. “Anandivula mwankhanza ndi kuchita zawozo. Ine ndinangoti basi nanga n’kutani poti ifeyo tilibe mphamvu,” she said.

The officers are alleged to have thrown teargas in every direction, including shops and  residential compounds and houses. It is also alleged that they raided and looted shops (Farmers World is a classic example) and pubs.

“The foregoing, stands at odds with the noble mandate and values, associated with the character of a police service. The Malawi Police Service and all other state institutions and actors, are by  principle, the principal duty bearer. While we still have so much hope that there may be far more noble police officers nationwide, the incidents at Nsudwe and surrounding areas further erode trust and respect which we believe the police service deserves,” the Network said in the statement

The organisation has  demand  President Peter Mutharika to  ensure the Police initiates thorough investigations and punish all culprits.

“ No one is above the law and the rule of law must be respected,” it stated.

Malawi Human Rights Commission has also been persuaded to  conduct independent investigations into the allegations forthwith.

National Police spokesman James Kadadzera said the law enforcers  are “monitoring what is unfolding on the social media where a woman is testifying on how he was raped by the Malawi Police officers.”

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Zofu
Zofu
4 years ago

Kodi imakhala plain or amatchena Hey answer my question amane mumaufilanu

President Mkango Lion Manthakanjenjemereza
President Mkango Lion Manthakanjenjemereza
4 years ago

Ndiye kuona ambiri amafa ndi edzi. Koma vuto apweteka ana a eni ndi matenda awowo.

Opportunist
Opportunist
4 years ago

Disgrace

Mbonga Matoga
Mbonga Matoga
4 years ago

But how on earth can the Malawi police be trusted to investigate itself? This is the same police that can not arrest the DPP henchmen who attacked innocent protesters in BT and hacked a Mr Mayaya almost to death despite the fact that the attack took place in the presence of some police officers and the social media is awash with videos of the attack…..but Surprisingly the same police were quick in arresting people in msundwe even without evidence just because msundwe is deemed as an opposition area. How can a such unprofessional police be allowed to investigate rape cases… Read more »

David Wa Betha
David Wa Betha
4 years ago

Please we need to fear God and propagate love always. What the police did is appealing and sad to say it’s an act of terrorism! Make sure you pray before going to such missions. If you do not believe in God know that there is God who made you. Worship him day and night. Know that he sent his bellowed son Jesus to die for you! Should you believe in Jesus then you have eternal life. When you ask he is faithful to call you his own child. Make a decision to accept him today! Amen!

Alfred Minjo
Alfred Minjo
4 years ago
Reply to  David Wa Betha

Zabodza izi. Trying to decampaign the confirmation of Mwapasa. But also decampaigning our Police Services and Government of the day. Koma ndi inu Anthu OIPA ZEDI.

Lakata
Lakata
4 years ago

As a nation we need to be serious sometimes. Police could not be known with nasty stories like these. Mwapasa at the helm awaiting confirmation should have done better.

Peter
Peter
4 years ago

Malawi police most of them are not Educated and they don’t know why they are police! You will see them when they are out of unform that! They are savages.

Chief Justice Chilungamo
Chief Justice Chilungamo
4 years ago

I do not believe in what being claimed. This is cooked stories in order to justify the brutality of MCP and Nundwe thugs. No one should listen to this rubbish. NGOs dealing with human rights are agents of descendants of slave traders and imperialists, possibly unwanted beings in the country.

Omare
Omare
4 years ago

Ku chipatala ndikumene atola nkhani amapedza umboni wa rape sichoncho anyakwa?Mota anthuwo sadziwa zoti zikatero amapita ku chipatala

Manes mandebvu
Manes mandebvu
4 years ago

Mabodza okhaokha awa tikufuna azipereke mwa mayi mmozi omwe wachitilidwa izi so that we can know kuti zoona?

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