Commander-in-Chief of the Mozambique Republic Police, Bernardino Rafael
from ARIMANDO DOMINGOS in Maputo, Mozambique
MAPUTO, (CAJ News) – MOZAMBICAN authorities have raised alarm over the rape of children in the capital Maputo.
At least 42 minors were among 200 people sexually violated in the city 2019, officials disclosed.
This represents the number of children raped doubling from 2018.
Girls under the age of 12 were mostly violated.
Bernardino Rafael, Commander-in-Chief of the Mozambique Republic Police, lamented the surge.
“We cannot continue to tolerate people who rape children and innocent people like this,” Rafael said.
He was speaking in Maputo at a swearing-in event of the police force’s regional leaders.
Rafael tasked the newly-appointed leaders to fight rape and other forms of crime in Maputo.
The capital city recorded more than 11 000 crimes in 2019.
Organisations such as the Mozambican Council of Religions have previously raised concern at the prevalence of rape in Mozambique.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health in the Southern African country indicated that sexual violence peaks during the festive season.
The incidents of rape are a major concern alongside the terrorism afflicting northern Mozambique.
Islamist groups are behind the terror that is centred in the province of Cabo Delgado.
The attacks in the oil and gas-rich region tripled in 2019.
More than 800 people have been killed and 100 000 others fled their homes since the incidents were first reported in 2017.
– CAJ News