NGO Gender Coordination Network (NGOGCN) has demanded an investigation into allegations that police officers raped, defiled and tortured innocent women and girls following a fracas in Lilongwe.

The fracas between demonstrators and the police at Msundwe Trading Centre on October 8, 2019 claimed the life of a police officer Superintendent Usumani Imedi.

The protests against a rally by President Peter Mutharika were also held at M’bwatalika and Mpingu Trading Centres.

In a press statement signed by NGOGCN chairperson, Barbara Banda and NGOGCN National Coordinator Joseph Njala, the organization said it is disturbed with reports that some of police officers raped women, defiled self-boarding girl students, tortured people and looted private property on October 9, 2019.

The network alleges that five police officers invaded a house of a woman at Mpingu Trading Centre where they throw teargas into the house and sexually abused her daughter.

“I took off my clothes in front of the officer, leaving out an underwear only. He then started beating me for refusing to take off my underwear. I have been bedridden for five days nursing the pain and I don’t even know whether I am okay internally as I have not gone for medical check-up,” she stated.

From there the officers invaded a neighbouring house where they defiled a 16 year-old female self-boarder from Mpingu Community Day Secondary School.

“The three officers who had entered the house ordered all the three girls to take off all their clothes, including underwear. The third girl was ordered to follow the officers to the bedroom. One of the officers forced himself onto the girl,” the statement reads.

According to NGOGCN after being defiled the girl run out of the house and went missing for two days.

“Her parents narrated that the girl has yet to return to her normal mind, since the incident.”

Another team of police officers invaded Mvuu Village in Traditional Authority M’bwatalika where they raped a newly-wedded woman.

The officers are also alleged to have thrown teargas in every direction, including shops and residential compounds and houses.

It is also alleged that the police officers were involved in raiding and looting including a Farmers World shop and bottle stores.

NGOGCN has since asked President Peter Mutharika, Acting Inspector General of Police, Duncan Mwapasa and the Malawi Human Right Commission (MHRC) to act on the matter.

There was no immediate comment from the Malawi Police Service as the National Police Publicist, James Kadadzera was reportedly out of office.