“…he nearly raped me,” recalls one delegate
…FAM yet to suspend the official
…Malawi Football Governing body ‘protects’ official from police investigation
The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) is yet to suspend an official who allegedly attempted to rape a delegate in the Scorchers camp and coerced several others into unwanted sexual encounters. The football governing body is facing accusations of protecting the suspected official, several days after becoming aware of the misconduct.
It has even emerged that the official nearly raped one delegate of Malawi Women’s National Team (The Scorchers) after forcing his way into her room. And despite the criminal nature of the allegations, FAM is yet to report the case to the Malawi Police.
Last week, BolaNews, a Zambian sports news agency, reported that several female members of the Scorchers’ technical panel had complained that a FAM official coerced them into unwanted sexual advances during recent international trips.
According to the report, while in Zambia in February, the FAM official made sexual advances toward a member of the team’s technical staff. A similar incident reportedly occurred this month in South Africa, where the team had travelled for two friendly matches against Banyana Banyana.
While in South Africa, two female members of the technical staff reportedly complained that the FAM official propositioned them for sex.
“At around 7 p.m., I heard a knock on my door. I opened it and it was him. The moment I opened the door, he entered. I tried to block him, but it wasn’t possible,” BolaNews quoted one of the victims as saying. “He closed the door, removed his trousers, and grabbed me tightly — pushing me onto the bed. He said we should have sex. I refused.”
In response to the allegations, FAM has stated that it will launch an investigation.
“FAM has therefore instituted a formal inquiry to investigate and make findings on the matter. This process will be undertaken pursuant to applicable rules and policies that ensure fairness and justice for all parties involved,” FAM said in a statement.
However, FAM has not taken any concrete disciplinary action against the accused official. The delay has left victims further exposed to harassment and increased pressure to withdraw their accusations.
