By Daily Revelation Editor
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has called upon the police command to immediately arrest the police officers who allegedly tortured a woman and left her with a broken spine in Mpongwe.
Muleya further revealed that over the years, the commission has continued to receive complaints from victims of torture who had suffered permanent disabilities as a result of aggravated assault by some police officers.
“In the current case, Ms. Mary Mwansa of Mpongwe District complained that her backbone was allegedly broken by some police officers who beat her for complaining about the alleged acquittal of a police officer who had defiled her 14 year – old daughter. This case simply confirms the prevalence of acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment being inflicted on suspects and ordinary people by police officers,” Mweetwa stated.
We agree with the Commission’s calls, including calling on the government to demonstrate zero tolerance against acts of torture by publicly condemning police brutality against suspects.
The Government must enact a comprehensive law that criminalises acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment as a demonstration of its commitment to ending the violations and meeting its international human rights obligations.
The criminality being perpetrated against innocent Zambians by the same police which is supposed to be upholding their rights must not be tolerated.
Despite renaming the establishment from the Zambia Police Force to the Zambia Police Service, nothing has changed in the manner it operates, otherwise we would not continue seeing these human rights violations happening repeatedly.
We hope there will be appropriate action taken by the police service on the officers who unleashed such inhuman brutality on a defenceless old woman to the extent of breaking her back and legs, and after that appropriate prosecution in the courts of law.
Given the severity of the crime, we would have expected to have seen a statement from the government already and the police, even without any prompting from the Human Rights Commission. It is not possible that given this digital and social media dominated age we live in that that video has escaped the sight and ears of all the people in government and the police service since it went viral. We demand that the police tell the nation on what exactly they are doing to bring their own erring officers to book. If that criminality will not be acted upon with appropriate prosecution, then Inspector General of Police and his command should voluntarily resign from their offices as they will be confirming to Zambians that they are condoning the violence from their officers meted against innocent civilians.
Beyond that, this crime must now act as a rallying point for the leaders in government to start moving proactively towards enacting laws that comprehensively punish acts of torture and other human rights violations by the men in uniform against the other citizens.
If indeed, we are a country of laws then the law must not be blind. The same police officers who effect arrests against other citizens who commit assault and crimes against other citizens, must also be instantly subjected to the same laws, without needing the Human Rights and other members of the public to speak out against the crimes.
The abused and tortured Mpongwe woman said she has been to all the responsible offices to be assisted but hasn’t found any luck. Clearly the system has failed her as this matter would have been acted on already and the officers involved taken to task without recourse of that video going viral. We are wondering how many out there have been left to suffer in the cold having failed to gather the courage and boldness of that Mpongwe woman and the good Samaritan who urged her on and took the video where the woman narrated the violence against her.
Related
By Daily Revelation Editor
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has called upon the police command to immediately arrest the police officers who allegedly tortured a woman and left her with a broken spine in Mpongwe.
Muleya further revealed that over the years, the commission has continued to receive complaints from victims of torture who had suffered permanent disabilities as a result of aggravated assault by some police officers.
“In the current case, Ms. Mary Mwansa of Mpongwe District complained that her backbone was allegedly broken by some police officers who beat her for complaining about the alleged acquittal of a police officer who had defiled her 14 year – old daughter. This case simply confirms the prevalence of acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment being inflicted on suspects and ordinary people by police officers,” Mweetwa stated.
We agree with the Commission’s calls, including calling on the government to demonstrate zero tolerance against acts of torture by publicly condemning police brutality against suspects.
The Government must enact a comprehensive law that criminalises acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment as a demonstration of its commitment to ending the violations and meeting its international human rights obligations.
The criminality being perpetrated against innocent Zambians by the same police which is supposed to be upholding their rights must not be tolerated.
Despite renaming the establishment from the Zambia Police Force to the Zambia Police Service, nothing has changed in the manner it operates, otherwise we would not continue seeing these human rights violations happening repeatedly.
We hope there will be appropriate action taken by the police service on the officers who unleashed such inhuman brutality on a defenceless old woman to the extent of breaking her back and legs, and after that appropriate prosecution in the courts of law.
Given the severity of the crime, we would have expected to have seen a statement from the government already and the police, even without any prompting from the Human Rights Commission. It is not possible that given this digital and social media dominated age we live in that that video has escaped the sight and ears of all the people in government and the police service since it went viral. We demand that the police tell the nation on what exactly they are doing to bring their own erring officers to book. If that criminality will not be acted upon with appropriate prosecution, then Inspector General of Police and his command should voluntarily resign from their offices as they will be confirming to Zambians that they are condoning the violence from their officers meted against innocent civilians.
Beyond that, this crime must now act as a rallying point for the leaders in government to start moving proactively towards enacting laws that comprehensively punish acts of torture and other human rights violations by the men in uniform against the other citizens.
If indeed, we are a country of laws then the law must not be blind. The same police officers who effect arrests against other citizens who commit assault and crimes against other citizens, must also be instantly subjected to the same laws, without needing the Human Rights and other members of the public to speak out against the crimes.
The abused and tortured Mpongwe woman said she has been to all the responsible offices to be assisted but hasn’t found any luck. Clearly the system has failed her as this matter would have been acted on already and the officers involved taken to task without recourse of that video going viral. We are wondering how many out there have been left to suffer in the cold having failed to gather the courage and boldness of that Mpongwe woman and the good Samaritan who urged her on and took the video where the woman narrated the violence against her.
Related
You can share this post!
Hichilema incapable of telling where country is going – Kabimba
Copper hits new 2-year high at $10,000 per ton
Related Articles
Hakainde’s admin owns steep fuel, electricity tariff hikes
Fuel, electricity hikes, two hammer blows on Zambians
Hakainde and political campaigns