Oxfam in Malawi has condemned the rape of a 14-year-old girl by a police officer at Chisepo Police Unit in Dowa district.
The girl – who was arrested for fighting at school – was raped while in police custody on the night of 4th October, 2018.
She said a police officer opened her cell and raped her but the law enforcers claim that one of the male inmates broke into the girl’s cell to rape her. 
When the girl reported the matter to authorities, police officers from Lilongwe and Dowa went to her house to intimidate the girl and her parents.
According to Oxfam in Malawi, the incident is not only heart-breaking but also appalling because there are so many unanswered questions surrounding the incident.
“The police premises should be the safest place for any citizen and to have a girl raped while on the police premises is a manifestation of how pervasive violence against women and girls is in this country.
“We further condemn the intimidation of the girl and her parents, as reported in the media,” says Oxfam in a statement.
It adds that the organisation is encouraged by the immediate steps of its partner GENET in mobilising traditional leaders and communities to press for answers from the police authorities where the incident took place and whistleblowing on the matter.
“We applaud the media for breaking the silence on incidences of gender based violence. We will continue to work with GENET and other CSOs that have joined hands in demanding justice for this young survivor and all other survivors of gender based violence,” Oxfam Malawi says.
