Feb, 12th 2021 – Police in Zimbabwe have apologised for detaining a woman and two minors at a cell in Harare. The police said in a statement said that investigations were ongoing to find out what really happened.
The statement said, “This unfortunate incident will not be allowed to happen again. We appeal to members of the public to allow the police to conduct investigations so that appropriate decisions can be made.”
The statement acknowledged that they had seen the viral video of the woman terming it as unfortunate. The statement further states that the republic’s police remain committed to the observance of human rights, rights of children and will ensure police conduct their duties in the set standards.
— Zimbabwe Republic Police (@PoliceZimbabwe) February 11, 2021
In the past, the Zimbabwean police have been accused of assaulting young female activists. The three women were reported missing following a protest over Covid-19 lockdown measures. While receiving treatment, they all claimed that they were abducted and abused sexually by state security agents.
The three women include were allegedly arrested at a roadblock after the protests in the capital, Harare, where family members were unable to locate them. Among the three was the country’s youngest parliament member, Joana Mamombe.
Police however denied arresting or holding the three captive saying they were unaware of their whereabouts.