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Malawi Ombudsman: Police Committed Rapes During Post-Election Unrest

Lameck Masina

   LILONGWE, MALAWI - A report released under Malawi's Human Rights
   Commission this month has found that police raped at least eight women
   and sexually violated several others, including girls, during October's
   post-election unrest. However, authorities are questioning the validity
   of the report and Malawi police say they will only act after carrying
   out their own inquiry.

   The report, released Dec. 18 by Malawi's ombudsman, says the police
   assaults occurred in the homes of victims and were carried out in
   revenge for the stoning death of a fellow police officer.

   Twenty-five-year-old "Grace," who is not using her real name, cried as
   she told a reporter how two Malawian police officers stormed her house
   in October, looking for her husband. She said they accused him of being
   involved in street violence, which broke out during ongoing protests
   over the re-election of President Peter Mutharika in May.

   Grace says one of the policemen accused her of hiding her husband's
   whereabouts and then attacked her, pushing her down and undressing her.
   He raped her, Grace said, then stepped on her with his boots.

   Twenty-seven-year-old "Rhoda" -- also not her real name -- told a
   reporter a similar story of being attacked by Malawian police. She said
   that when she told her husband about the attack, he said he could not
   stay with someone who was raped, for fear of contracting a sexually
   transmitted disease.

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