Malawi police raped, assaulted women during security op - Report

Malawi’s Human Rights Commission has accused the police of serious human rights abuses in a report released on Wednesday including rape and assault.

According to the report, some of these abuses happened in the presence of the victims children during a security operation in October.

Investigations by the Commission revealed that at least one girl under 18 was sexually assaulted, while seven women had been raped. The tragedy occurred in Msundwe, 35 km west of the capital, Lilongwe.

It was a reprisal against villagers who had erected barricades to prevent a rally organized in Lilongwe, the capital, by President Peter Mutharika. The police then used violence, using tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The police have yet to respond to these serious accusations, although the Malawi Human Rights Commission has named officials who should be punished.