The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has implored the public to report all s3xual offences to the police and for all victims of r@pe, sodomy or aggravated indecent assault to go to the nearest clinic or hospital for treatment and HIV testing.
In a statement issued on Thursday, 22 February, the NPAZ said most of the r@pe cases that are prosecuted in the Magistrates Court across the country involve parties that are related or known to each other. It said:
This is particularly painful in the case of juveniles and mentally challenged people who are r@ped by family members such as their fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, brothers and uncles as these are the people that they trust and look up to for protection.
It is also regrettable that some families do not report r@pe matters involving juveniles and family members to the Zimbabwe Republic Police but choose to resolve these at the family level or through the local leadership or community court.
The NPAZ would like to urge the public to report all s3xual offences to the Zimbabwe Republic Police particularly those involving juveniles and mentally challenged persons or any other vulnerable groups of people living with disability.
Where the members of the public are unable to report to the police, they can report to Childline on toll-free line 116 or report to the social worker or school authorities.
NPAZ urged guardians and parents to be mindful of the people that they entrust with their children’s care and also to be vigilant when it comes to protecting children, the mentally challenged and any other vulnerable persons from s3xual predators.
A medical practitioner, Misheck Ruwende, implored rape victims to visit the hospital within 72 hours for prevention of HIV, and pregnancy among other interventions. He said:
Everything else we can do later but the hospital visit is time-limited.
Rape is traumatizing on its own, getting HIV and or pregnancy from it is more traumatizing.
We – relatives, teachers, neighbours, and friends have a collective responsibility to meet the 72-hour window.
SOURCE : PINDULA
