A police officer is currently at large after allegedly raping a 24-year-old woman who sought assistance at Mbare Police Station in Harare. The victim, stranded after her father failed to meet her as planned, had turned to the police for help, only to be subjected to a horrific ordeal.
The woman, who had travelled from Madziva to meet her father at Mbare Musika, found herself stranded when he did not arrive. Seeking assistance, she approached police officers who directed her to Mbare Police Station, as she possessed her father’s contact number.
Upon arriving at the station, she explained her situation to a policeman who contacted her father. He, too, promised to come and collect her. Subsequently, another police officer escorted the woman to a car park within the police station premises. He provided her with a blanket and instructed her to rest in a car. He also gave her US$1 to purchase food.
Later, the same officer returned to the car and demanded sexual favours from the woman. He was reportedly holding condoms. When she refused his advances, he allegedly raped her once.
Recounting her harrowing experience, the woman stated that the officer had initially given her a dollar to buy food while she was sitting in the charge office.
“When I denied his sexual advances, the police officer wrestled with me arguing that I had to return his one dollar,” she said. “He took advantage of the fact that I had disclosed that I had no other money for transport to return to Madziva.”
In the morning, the officer instructed her to take a bath. This provided the woman with an opportunity to report the assault to a female officer. Following the report, the accused police officer disappeared.
After reporting the incident, the woman was escorted to Edith MSF for a medical examination and subsequently taken to a safe house.
Efforts to obtain comment from the police were unsuccessful. However, H-Metro has reliably learned that the case was reported under RRB 6283339. The police officer now faces up to 20 years in prison as rape cases offen carry such hefty sentences in Zimbabwe.
