Defilement, Rape Up to 43% in Eastern Region
Police have called for concerted efforts to deal with rising cases of rape and defilement
- file photo
Police in eastern region have called upon communities to join hands in addressing rape and defilement cases that have gone up to 43.2 percent.
Regional Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Tionge Kayenda, says this follows a report from research and planning office from the month of January to November 2020 in comparison to the same period last year.
Said Kayenda; "the region has registered 408 defilement and rape cases this year as compared to 285 cases registered over the same period in 2019. This is worrisome."
Sergeant Kayenda says this has prompted Eastern Region Police Commissioner, Arlene Baluwa, to visit communities pleading with them to take a positive role in joining the efforts to reverse this.
According to Kayenda, Mangochi is reportedly ahead of all eastern region districts in rape and defilement cases after registering a 63 percent increase followed by Machinga which has registered a 47.1 percent increase.
Police have, however, assured people in the region of total security and that will deal with perpetrators accordingly.
The data indicates that most of the perpetrators of sexual offences are close relatives especially step-fathers.
