3,010 women and children raped in 7 months

AT LEAST 3,010 women and children have been raped in the first seven months of this year, Acting President Joice Mujuru said yesterday. Of the 3,010 cases reported, 2,064 were children while 946 were women.

Last year, 1,876 children were raped while 918 cases of women were reported during the same period. Speaking at a police passout parade in Harare yesterday, Cde Mujuru said it was disturbing that most of the cases were committed mostly by close relatives.

"I'm deeply disturbed and worried to note that sexual crimes are on the increase.

"It's really saddening that this heinous act is committed in most instances by close relatives or associates and is usually perpetrated in common places such as homes, churches, schools or grazing lands, among others. This is barbaric. It's wrong, and this must stop.

"I call upon us all, as a unified people, born from a deep and healthy cultural bond, to join hands with the police and other stakeholders and weed out this atrocious crime from our midst."

She said general crime went down by 11 percent between January and July this year as compared to the same period last year.

VP Mujuru said 110,802 cases were reported last year as compared to 98,342 this year.

She applauded the force for reducing general crime and urged officers to continue working hard and further develop sound, innovative and effective strategies to curb crime.

She said the force had a crucial role to play in the successful implementation of the economic blueprint, Zim-Asset.

A total of 543 policemen and women graduated yesterday after undergoing six months training.