A police commander in Tanzania’s capital Dodoma has been sacked for making controversial feedback linking an alleged gang rape sufferer to intercourse work.
Earlier this month, a video that appeared to indicate a younger girl being attacked by 5 males went viral within the East African nation, sparking a public outcry.
The police commander within the capital Dodoma was quoted as saying in a press release on Sunday. tanzanian newspapers “The lady seems to be engaged in intercourse work,” he stated.
Tanzania’s nationwide police pressure apologized and stated the commander had been transferred after dealing with backlash and accusations that the remark trivialized the lady’s ache.
“The police want to apologize to anybody who was moved and offended by the assertion circulating within the media and are monitoring its accuracy,” Nationwide Police spokesman David Missim stated on Monday.
Mr Msim added that Dodoma district commander Theopista Mallya stated in feedback to native newspaper Mwananchi that even when the lady was a intercourse employee, “she didn’t should be handled like that”.
These phrases didn’t seem in Mwananchi’s report – and the BBC has contacted the newspaper for remark.
Responding to Mwananchi’s report, lawyer Peter Madeleka stated on social media platform
Fatma Karume, a lawyer and distinguished activist, additionally expressed outrage at X, writing: “Cannot those that promote themselves out be raped on this nation?”
Within the video, the lady seems to be raped and the suspect reportedly interrogates her, forcing her to apologize to a person referred to as “afande.”
In Tanzania, the place “afande” is usually used to seek advice from troopers or cops, many activists and social media customers have expressed anger at members of the safety forces ordering sexual assaults.
Ms Mallia informed Mwananchi: “Investigations revealed that these younger males weren’t performing on the orders of any police officer; they had been merely inebriated and medicines.”
“Nonetheless, this girl seems to be engaged in intercourse work,” she stated.
After Ms Malia confronted public backlash for her feedback, Tanzania’s nationwide police stated she had been transferred to police headquarters, nevertheless it was unclear whether or not this is able to be non permanent or everlasting.
The gang-rape suspect is because of seem in court docket later Monday.
It is unclear when the video was filmed, however the victims had been reportedly residents of Yombdovia, a suburb of Dar es Salaam, the nation’s largest metropolis.
