The ManicaPost
Jabulani Mangezi Policing Manicaland
Welcome dear reader, to the first edition of the column “Policing Manicaland”.
| This column seeks to promote dialogue and rapport between the communities of this beautiful province and the men and women who are charged with maintaining law and order in this province and nation. The column is an extension of the show of the same name, on Diamond FM Tuesday evenings between 10 past 8 and half past 8. |
We begin on a stark note though, as we look at the crime of rape. In my conversations with the Zimbabwe Republic Police they revealed that they are concerned with the increase in cases of rape in this province. While it remains debatable whether the increase in cases is due to more sexual offences being committed or its attributable to more cases being reported, the truth is the level of this crime is too high and there is need for action.
Speaking to Diamond FM, The ZRP acting deputy spokesperson for Manicaland, Sergeant Wiseman Chinyoka, said “Even though prevention, investigation and detection remain a priority for the Police, there is also need to focus on early reporting and preservation of evidence on sexual offences particularly rape.”
So this week we look at the importance of early reporting.
According to the Police, rape is said to have occurred when a male person has sexual intercourse or anal sexual intercourse with a female person and at the time of the intercourse the female person had not consented to it or when a male person has sexual intercourse with a child below the statutory age.
Being raped is a traumatic experience which humiliates, degrades and violates the sexual integrity of the victim and leaves them with a diminished sense of self esteem and the risk of stigmatisation in society. Added to this is the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and possibly unwanted pregnancies. It thus becomes imperative that the victim of rape be able to access medical as well as psychological help within the shortest period possible.
Reporting early to the police can help the victim do just that.
The Police encourage people to report suspected cases of rape within a period of 72 hours or three days from the commission of the crime. The advantages of reporting within this period include the administration of what is called Post Exposure Prophylaxis or PEP, which is a short course of antiretroviral drugs that stops exposure to HIV from becoming a life-long infection in case the perpetrator is HIV positive.
The victim can also be given emergency contraceptives to prevent pregnancy from the rape.
Disturbingly, research by the police indicates that 73 percent of rape cases reported in October 2016 were reported late. The police say that most cases are reported after the victim falls sick or pregnant.
Sergeant Chinyoka said: “In some cases where perhaps the perpetrator is related to the victim, family members will try to solve the rape at family level. But as police we urge guardians and parents of rape victims to report all cases to the police to enable the victim to access professional counselling and medical services.”
He added that their encouragement for people to report early does not mean that if the 72 hour period has lapsed the case should not be reported.
Sergeant Chinyoka also emphasised on the need to preserve evidence as this has a great bearing on the successful prosecution of the perpetrator.
These are some of the steps that people must adhere to in order to preserve evidence
Do not dispose or sew torn clothes from the rape
Do not dispose or wash blood stained clothes
Do not bath within the 72 hour period before reporting to the police
Survivor of rape must be able to describe weapon used by attacker
Survivor must make an effort to describe appearance of the accused
All these steps are necessary to help the police to successfully prosecute the perpetrator and also ensure that through medical and counselling services, the rape survivor may be able to live as normal a life as is conceivably possible under the circumstances.
That is all for this week, until next week when we look at other topics, stay safe and remember the police are here to help us, let us help them
