Sexual cases top Malawi Police crime list

Malawi Police have expressed concern over the rise in rape and defilement cases which they say topped the crime list in 2015.

Nicholas Gondwa, the police spokesperson at national headquarters in Lilongwe said there
were 208 rape cases in 2015 up from 190 in 2014, representing a 10 percent increase.

On defilement, Gondwa said there were 1,335 defilement cases in 2015 up from 1,033 in 2014, representing a 29 percent increase.

Gondwa therefore said there was need for  concerted efforts to protect women and children in view of the increase in  rape and defilement cases.

The law-enforcers however, registered a decrease in criminal cases during the past year.

Over all, Gondwa said, there was a two percent  reduction of crime in 2015 compared to 2014,
saying there were 16,469 criminal cases in 2014 as opposed to 15,151 in 2015.

He said there were 3,428 robberies in 2015 as opposed to 3,679 in 2014, a decrease of seven percent.

On murders cases, the police registered a decrease of six percent in 2015with 557cases registered as compared to 593 cases in 2014.

Gondwa assured Malawians that the law enforcers would continue to work round the clock to bring down crime in the country and asked people to tip the police any crime suspects.