Police probe five officers accused of rape, sodomy

Dar es Salaam. Police yesterday initiated an investigation into a brutal incident allegedly committed by officers from one of the security forces against an unnamed girl.

Former Ubungo mayor Boniface Jacob posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the girl, a resident of Yombo Dovya, Temeke District in Dar es Salaam, was raped and sodomised by five men whom he referred to as officers.

He said the five who appeared in the video purportedly acted on orders from their boss, accusing the girl of having an affair with their boss’s husband.

Mr Jacob tagged various officials, including President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Police and the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Dr Dorothy Gwajima.

“The officers recorded themselves raping and sodomising the girl and shared the video online under the orders of their boss, who instructed them to punish her,” claimed Mr Jacob.

“Since the Commander-in-Chief of the Tanzanian Armed Forces is a woman, the minister for Defence is a woman, and the minister for women affairs is a woman, we expect to see them more outraged by this harassment and brutality against a girl child, as they are parents and leaders responsible for protecting Tanzanian citizens,” he wrote.

In a quick response, Dr Gwajima confirmed to have read the message and forward it to the responsible authorities.

“Thank you very much for tagging me. I have read and forwarded this to the Ministry of Home Affairs. They will issue a statement in due course,” she posted.

“In any case, this report is distressing, and such an act is unacceptable and cannot be overlooked. If the survivor or someone close to her reads this information, do not be afraid to report it so that the survivor can receive immediate assistance, including health, psychological, and safety services,” she added.

“Thank you; let’s continue cooperating in protecting our community. We are one community; evil has no place,” said Dr Gwajima. Minutes later, Police spokesperson David Misime issued a public statement addressing the incident, stating that the law enforcers have started working on the issue.

The police described the incident as unacceptable as it is against the law, Tanzanian ethics, and inhumane.

“The police call on all citizens to stop circulating that video, as doing so is illegal and continues to demean the dignity of our fellow human being,” said Mr Misime in the statement.

“We urge anyone with information to quickly help us by providing information or informing any leader you trust to ensure these people are found as soon as possible,” the statement read.