Police accused of shielding officer

Fourteen-year-old Rose (not real name) is demanding justice after being allegedly defiled by an officer on duty at Kachulu Police Unit in Zomba.

Kachulu Police Unit, which is under Eastern Region Police, is located along the shores of Lake Chilwa, where many people are still living in temporary homes due to Cyclone Freddy-induced floods.

Rose told The Daily Times that she was detained by some community members, who accused her of stealing clothes from one of the people in the area in late August this year.

She said they then took her to Kachulu Police Unit, where officers put her in custody.

She alleged that, during the night, an officer approached her and told her to do anything he would tell her if she wanted to buy her freedom.

“At night, one officer approached me and asked me to follow whatever he would ask of me so that I could be freed. He, then, told me that he would release me if he slept with me, to which I agreed. He then gave me a Malawi Police Service flag to cover myself with. He, then, released me early in the morning,” she said.

Rose claimed that, when he went back to the community, people apprehended her in the afternoon, accusing her of escaping from lawful custody

“I told them what had happened for me to be out of the police cell. They took me back to the police unit, where the issue was discussed, an identification parade was organised and I was given a chance to point at the alleged defiler,” she added.

Meanwhile, Rose has said she is being threatened not to talk to other people about the issue.

The Daily Times did not manage to get hold of results from the hospital but one of the community members claimed that the results showed that there was penetration.

Another community member, Idah Misokwe of Likapa Village, said she was surprised that the officer in question is still working without being arrested.

Meanwhile, Litigation Officer for Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance Ruth Kaima has said the police hierarchy should come to the bottom of the issue.

She said law enforcers are there to protect, and not to inflict pain on, people.

“Police personnel need to lead by example and if they are serious with their work, they should do something fast.

“It is sad to learn that police detained a 14-year-old girl. How did a girl find herself with a male police officer in a police cell? This shows that there were so many violations of her rights. We are also aware that the officer is still working despite this serious allegation. What have the police done, so far?” Kaima said.

She appealed to Malawians not to be afraid to report any form of abuse to police, school or church officials.

“People should know that police officers are given the power by the people themselves. Nobody is above the law. We have many channels people can use to report such cases and these include the social welfare office, office of the independent Complaints Commission or the Malawi Human Rights Commission, which has a mandate to investigate such cases,” Kaima said.

Partners in Action for Sustainable Development Executive Director Amos Chiyenda, whose organisation is implementing the Cure Gender-based Violence Project in Zomba District, including in the Kachulu area, said they are keen to see justice prevail on the issue.

“This is worrisome; more so because the area is still registering cases of gender-based Violence.

“When we heard about the issue, we engaged police, social welfare and gender officers at district level. We wanted to see that justice is served on the girl’s alleged defilement issue. We are there to provide support to her,” Chiyenda said.

He said the latest report he got from police was that they would investigate the issue within their department and that, if there is a need to arrest their fellow officer, they would do that.

“We are not happy with progress made, so far,” he said.

Malawi Police Service spokesperson Peter Kalaya said they are aware of the issue, adding that they are investigating it to establish the truth.

“We are following it up and investigating it, just the way we do with any other reported case, and we are happy that we are not the only ones investigating it. We understand that the Independence Complaints Commission is also following it up,” he said.

Kalaya then assured Malawians that police management does not condone any misbehaviour by its officers.

“Let me take this opportunity to stress that police management is very serious with the way its officers conduct themselves when they are on official duties. No police officer will be entertained when it is alleged that they got involved in any kind of criminality. If this officer is found to be on the wrong side] of the law], he will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly because police management is very serious on the issue of integrity,” Kalaya said.