Tanzania launches investigation into rape allegations against police

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DAR ES SALAAM – Tanzanian police said they were investigating allegations that some of their own officers raped and sexually harassed several women in nightclubs after allegations of explosives sparked an uproar and called for a urgent action.

The allegations were made during a public meeting with the commissioner of Handeni district in the coastal region of Tanga this week.

Television footage of the rally showed women crying as they recounted and shared their ordeals.

“They force you to have sex with them and if you refuse, they will give unnecessary reasons to arrest you and keep you in detention,” one woman, who has not been identified, said in the video.

“They come at midnight with their guns and do whatever they want to the women. It’s really brutal,” said a man present at the meeting.

Politicians demanded immediate action against the police officers named in the video, with the women’s wing of the main opposition party Chadema urging “all other women facing gender-based violence (to) make their voices heard.”

“This is humiliation and violence against women, committed by people supposed to protect women,” said another opposition party, the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT Wazalendo), in a statement. communicated.

Police say they have opened an investigation into the allegations and called for calm.

“After seeing the seriousness of the allegations, we sent our officer to investigate the case and establish what exactly happened,” police spokesman David Misime said in a statement.

“We are collecting evidence and if we confirm that such claims are true action will be taken according to the law. No one is above the law,” he said.

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