admin
Crime Reporter
At least 44 suspects who were on police’s wanted list were arrested in the last two weeks in Harare for committing various sexual related offences, including rape. The suspects were arrested under an operation code-named “Munhukadzi Ngwarira Kusashandiswa”, being conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department Women’s Network.
Some of them were on the police wanted list for domestic violence and indecent assault cases, among other sexually related offences.
The operation began on November 29 and it is expected to end on December 14.
CID spokesperson Detective Inspector Ntombizodwa Chiduwuro said the operation was to run concurrently with the 16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence to campaign against women abuse.
“This was prompted by the increase in the number of cases of sexual abuse perpetrated against women and children,” she said.
“The CID Women’s Network has since realised that some of the women fall prey to human trafficking on the pretext that they will get employed in foreign countries, but are later used as cheap labour.”
Detective Insp Chiduwuro said other women fell prey to drug traffickers into earning a living through the vice which made them end up being recruited into illicit business acting as drug couriers.
She said the Women’s Network saw it fit to capitalise on the annual campaign against gender based violence through educational campaigns to conscientise the public on crimes against women and children such as drug trafficking, human trafficking and sexual assault.
“The Network is visiting various public places such as schools, flea markets, bus termini and churches. Following recent cases of alleged women abuse by some church leaders, this Network, as a formidable organ of women detectives in the Zimbabwe Republic Police, is out in full force to encourage congregants to fear God and desist from giving in to sexual demands by some church leaders.”
Increasing cases of rape in Harare are giving authorities a headache, with 667 women and girls having been raped in the last 10 months.
Of the figure, 334 were adults and the remainder being children and juveniles. Women were raped while walking alone in secluded areas, while children were raped mostly by relatives and neighbours. Some of perpetrators have been arrested and have their cases pending before the courts, while others are on the run.
Online Reporter