VILLAGERS from rural Bikita, Gutu and Zaka have accused police officers of letting a lot of rapists go scot-free by delaying investigations or acting as self appointed arbiters in cases involving rape by a relative.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a women\u2019s summit to commemorate 16 days of activism against gender based violence, organised by Heal Zimbabwe, one villager who asked to be identified as Mrs. Mangoma said they no longer had anyone to turn to when it comes to rape cases as police officers had become complicit in the crime.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe no longer have police officers in our communities because criminal are now bribing them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens to those of us who do not have money?\u201d said Mangoma.<\/p>\n
\u201cToo many people are being rapped with culprits walking free because of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another villager who preferred not to be identified blamed both the police and parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes as parents, we are at fault because we are the ones who are quick to hide the crime if it is committed by a relative especially,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe police themselves are wrong when they choose to mediate between family members if, for example, an uncle rapes a niece.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another dragged in traditional leaders, accusing them of coercing parents to offer their daughters up for sexual orientation, a process described as \u201ckuvhura zheve.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said \u201ckuvhura zheve\u201d is when a daughter who is past marrying age is given to a traditional leader to have sexual intercourse with.<\/p>\n
A member of the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) Virginia Muwanigwa said a government\u2019s success is measured by its responsiveness to its people\u2019s views.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernment can only be judged by its responsiveness to how it acts to citizens\u2019 concerns. If it fails then let us see it trying,\u201d said Muwanigwa.<\/p>\n
\u201cJustice has to be served for the victim to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
VILLAGERS from rural Bikita, Gutu and Zaka have accused police officers of letting a lot of rapists go scot-free by delaying investigations or acting as self appointed arbiters in cases involving rape by a relative. Speaking at a women\u2019s summit to commemorate 16 days of activism against gender based violence, organised by Heal Zimbabwe, one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":16160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[278,715,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-16158","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-community","9":"tag-villagers","10":"tag-zgc","11":"tag-zimbabwe-republic-police"},"yoast_head":"\n