A 19-year-old allegedly raped a 24-year-old woman after buying her and two other friends alcohol at Omuntele village in the Oshikoto Region.

The Namibian Police Force crime investigations coordinator in the region, Deputy Commissioner Titus Ekandjo on Sunday said the incident happened on Friday around 20h00.

‘It is alleged that the suspect was with the victim at the Omuntele location together with her two other female friends, then the suspect bought alcohol and they drank together and while drinking, one of the ladies told the victim that the suspect wanted to talk to her,’ reported Ekandjo.

He said that after a short while the victim went to the toilet, and the suspect followed her into the toilet where the victim was rescued by two men who were present there.

‘After that, the suspect, victim, and two female friends went on their way home till they reached the victim’s house and the victim went into the house and collected cooked beans and gave them to the suspect and friends,’ reported Ekandjo.

He sai
d the two friends left but the suspect remained behind, after that he grabbed the victim but she overpowered him and fled and the suspect chased the victim up to the neighbours’ mahangu field.

‘The suspect grabbed her again, stripped off his clothes, and laid her on the ground and the victim screamed for help but nobody came to her rescue and the suspect managed to have sexual intercourse with the victim under coercive circumstances,’ reported Ekandjo.

The victim afterwards ran into the neighbour’s house to report the matter.

It is further alleged that the suspect offered to pay her N.dollars 200 to have sex with her.

It is also alleged that the suspect bit her on the cheek and arm whereby she sustained open wounds.

The suspect was arrested and he will appear before the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of rape and assault as the investigation continues.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Portfolio Committee on Police has directed South African Police Service (SAPS) senior managers to increase and enhance training for SAPS members to ensure compliance with the Domestic Violence Act (DVA).

This comes after the committee received a report on compliance with the Act and complaints against SAPS members, as contemplated in Section 18(4)(a) of the Act.

The committee said non-compliance with the Act undermines the fight against gender-based violence, and that increased training will equip police officers with the tools necessary to ensure proper reporting and investigation of domestic violence.

‘It is unacceptable that in a country like South Africa, with abnormally high cases of domestic violence, there are still some members of the SAPS that are not compliant with the Act. While there is a general improvement in the number of complaints received, complete compliance is non-negotiable, according to the committee,’ the chairperson of the committee, Nocks Seabi, said.

SAPS and the Civilian Sec
retariat for Police Service informed the committee that from 1 April to 30 September 2023, 60 complaints were reported. Fifty of those cases involved failure to complete a SAPS 508(a) form (a domestic violence form used to descriptively register the incident of domestic violence received) and the Domestic Violence Register (SAPS 508(b)).

Seven cases involved the failure to record domestic violence incidents in the occurrence pocketbook, and two cases concern failure to assist a complainant to open a case.

While the committee acknowledged that various actions have been taken, including the issuing of verbal warning and final written warnings, the committee believes continuous training will assist police officers to properly handle cases of domestic violence and comply with legislation.

The committee has also urged departmental investigations to be speedily concluded to ensure that members are held accountable.

The committee was also critical of the high number of police officers accused of perpetrating dom
estic violence in the period under review.

‘It is alarming that 165 members of SAPS are accused of being perpetrators of domestic violence. How can we expect perpetrators to assist and protect the most vulnerable? This is unacceptable and urgent strategies must be developed and implemented to remedy this concern,’ Seabi emphasised.

The committee has also called for enhanced psycho-social support for members to help them cope with the violent environment in which they operate.

Another concern for the committee is that 116 police stations are still without victim-friendly rooms. While the committee acknowledges that there are measures to mitigate this gap, it emphasised the need for more focus on capital projects to develop such rooms.

Meanwhile, the committee also received a report on the outcomes of Safer Festive Season operations. It said it is “generally pleased” with the police visibility and operations during the festive season.

While the committee acknowledged that budgetary constraints hinder the c
ontinued roll-out of similar operations, it requested a budgetary estimation on the costs involved for Parliament to consider.

Source: South African Government News Agency