Police in denial about officer allegedly raping daughter

By: BRIGITTE WEIDLICH

A SCHOOL girl from the Okuryangava township who laid charges against her own father, a Police officer, who allegedly raped her three months ago, is still waiting for the case to make progress.

The Police officer, who is said to be in the Very Important Persons Protection (VIPP) unit and whose name is known to The Namibian, is claimed to have raped his 17-year old daughter in early June, after he allegedly had a quarrel with his girlfriend.
The officer was contacted yesterday, but his mobile phone was on voice mail. Deputy Commissioner Andreas Nelumbo, the commander of the Wanaheda Police Station said yesterday he had “no idea about the case”.
The Namibian was however reliably informed that a case of incest was opened with the Police and that the father was arrested and let out on bail.
The girl yesterday confirmed the alleged rape to The Namibian. “My father apologised to me the next day, but I laid a charge at the Police,” the girl said.
According to Phil ya Nangoloh, Executive Director of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), the girl turned to his office at the end of last week, because no progress was made during the past three months.
“The girl told us that she contacted the Windhoek City Police after the incident, which allegedly took place in the early hours of Saturday, June 6, and they took her to the Wanaheda Police Station. She was then taken to the Women and Child Protection Unit,” Ya Nangoloh said yesterday. The girl only stayed there one day and underwent tests, including a blood test and was given medication usually handed out to rape complainants. The girl then stayed with relatives. “The girl never received the results of the blood test,” Ya Nangoloh said.
In the meantime the girl has apparently come under pressure from relatives for being disrespectful to her father for having laid charges against him, and has moved to another place to live last week.
The head of the Internal Investigations Directorate, Chief Inspector Haingura, who was contacted to find out if the matter was also handled internally within the Police, would not comment, but referred the reporter to the public relations unit. Deputy Commissioner Hophni Hamufungu, who heads the PR unit of the Police, said he was unaware of such a case.
About 1 200 rape cases take place in Namibia annually, with most committed by people known to the victims, including family members, according to statistics contained in the report “Rape in Namibia”, published by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) in 2006. One third of charges laid against perpetrators are withdrawn by the victims, mainly due to pressure from the family to solve the matter outside the court.

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