The Malawi Police Service has said that full criminal investigations into alleged cases of sexual abuse by police officers at Msundwe, M’bwatalika and Mpingu are underway.
In a statement, the national public relations officer for police, senior superintendent James Kadadzera, assured the public that these criminal investigations will be carried out in a professional manner.
He further added that these investigations will be without bias as a team of six senior police investigators has been recruited to run these investigations.
Kadadzera continued saying that the investigations are not a second inquiry as questioned earlier by some sectors of the society but rather reflecting reports from Malawi Human Rights Commission.
“The investigations are paying due attention to inquiry Report by the Malawi Human Rights Commission, reports both in the social and mainstream media and most importantly from survivors and witnesses,” said Kadadzera.
He added that criminal investigations are within the police’s mandate as provided under law and the law enforcers remain committed to fulfilling the mandate even in cases where the suspects are its own officers.
The criminal investigations on alleged Msundwe sexual violence started on 31 December 2019, following the outcome of the Malawi Human Rights Commission inquiry which revealed that 17 women and girls were raped.
