Inspector General of Police, Francis Kabonde, has ordered the arrest of a police officer, who detained a pregnant woman in Kasama last week.
Mr. Kabonde says the officer should be arrested and prosecuted as her action negatively affects the police image.
The IG has condemned, what he termed as unprofessional conduct, of the police officer who detained a pregnant woman a situation that resulted in the detainee giving birth whilst in detention.
He explained that the desire of the police high command is to preside over a disciplined, alert and professional police service that respects the rights of all citizens, including suspects or accused persons, who are deemed innocent until proven guilty by courts of law.[quote]
Police Service spokesperson Bonnie Kapeso said in Lusaka yesterday that Mr. Kabonde expressed regret that the pregnant woman could not be released on bond despite facing a bailable offence.
The woman, who gave birth in police cells, was detained for the offence of child abuse by the Victim Support Unit (VSU) officers.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kabonde has refuted allegations that the woman gave birth in police cells saying the woman gave birth in a private room at the police station whilst in custody and was even attended to by a nurse who was at the police station at the time of delivery.
The IG has, further, said the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the officer involved in the incident will act as a deterrent measure to would be offenders in the service.
ZANIS
Nice move the IG its a good precedent
Let the officer pay for her sins. How can a woman officer treat a fellow woman like that – may be she is barren herself.
I hope the IG means what he has said and not just a propanda.
HA…..!,There is action in Kasama, before the only news from Kasama was a witchdog was caught flying around in a washing basket.
My only take on this one is….. it’s highly likely that this lady officer “tafyala” therefore trying to take it out on this poor lady.
What is she going to be charged with?
She will be charged because she denied the woman bond on a bailable offence. Bwana IG, how many other people with bailable offences have been denied bond and bail. Not that I am supporting them, but even the Kapokos’ have been denied. Lets be consistent please.
Matworld goodmorning ndume yandi. This police officer is very wicked. Alitipwa uyu Kapokola bushe does she have children.
This is a stupid move by the IG. You don’t arrest people for image’s sake. They should break a law. What kind of policing is this? These are the same people harassing the Post Editor for doing the right thing. So, arrest the all UTH for allowing that to happen. Image is now an offense. So be careful you guys on LT. My worry about such cases is that why do they have to come from the top offices? That means all the people in between did not see an offense but the boss? Despite the officer doing wrong, this must be disciplinary issue, not a criminal issue. So, are they going to arrest the all Lusaka brass for not giving Kapoko bail when everyone else has been bailed?
image is now an offense
mornin dudes and dudettes. a woman’s worst enemy is another woman, thats been a fact since time immemorial. am kinda torn here coz yes, treating a pregnant chick like thats is just not nice, but then again, she was arrested for child abuse. was it a step kid or some orphaned dependant? sorry all, i draw the line on the abuse of defenceless kids especially from mother figures. they can be unspeakably cruel. i heard of one dipping a five year old kid’s hands in boiling cooking oil coz the youngster had noshed a piece of bread that wasnt his and another woman, in collusion with the hubby, used to make an orphan dependent from the village drink water from the toilet bowl coz the youngster didnt know any better. am just sayin….
LT dude, i spent forever doin that comment and u dont post it? wat up with that?
Kelvin #4,You have made me burst into continuous laughter. Have a good day!
Bakapokola pa Zed have got too much freedom one time in Ndola we where picked up coz we were standing outside the fence and was 21hrs, then this guy even fires some blanks ba shetani balitulonga for nothing in itawa muchi container. I dont know what charge this is one going in for but let her be arrested
Ba IG, what law did the officer break?
You just don’t arrest and prosecute police officers like that otherwise the entire police service is guilty of arresting people for “rogue and vagabond” or so-called “loitering”.
# 15 thats true shishita in Zambia is forever in LSK NDL KT you can walk in the evening without being arrested ati LOITERING, the police officers dont even know the definition of Loitering useless chaps
Ba IG in a private room at the police station is tha room a labour ward? Yes you have comfirmed that she gave birth at the police station even giving birth in the premises of your station in not allowed. What was the nurse doing? did she have the equipment to help her? You have taken the law in your own hands imwe babuju!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To those wondering what the police officer will be charged with:
1. Violation of Human Rights (Article 16, Human Rights Convention)
2. Abuse of Authority by public servants.
I commend the IG’s actions if it was done with a clean conscious and not mare propaganda and image building. Firstly, i would like to say that wat the officer did was very inhuman and unzambian, every well meaning zambian needs to condemn her actions coz we are not such bad people. however, i would like to bring to light the fact that maybe the woman did not look so pregnant to the extent that should would give birth then or maybe she looked croked and the officer was acting in the best interest of the force. therefore our questions should now be focussed on wat charges were lebeled aginst this woman and wat type of person was the officer dealing with????????
We will wait,hear and see how this case will head to.The woman police officer is mad for not doing the right thing at that time.Shame!
The law always gets twisted in Zambia. Kabwela is being prosecuted for airing the plight of pregnant women.
Firstly, child abuse may be in different forms hence the need for clarification on whatever type of abuse that was. Secondly, it is moraly wrong for any pregnant woman to give birth in such an inviroment even if in the presence of a nurse.( this may be worse than the UTH issue).The most desturbing aspect is that this child will one day come to know his birth place and that may affect him or her very badly. Thirdly, this unfair treatment is coming from a fellow woman who should have known better than to behave otherwise. Surely where are we heading to? Anyway, the law will definitely take it’s course. May the Almighty God bless the innocent baby.
If the lady was taken to the police station to help the police with enquiries into child abuse, then it was in order that she was taken there.What is not clear from the article above is whether, because of her condition, a nurse was called in to the station. One has to sympathise with our rural hospitals and it is a fact that doctors are not in abundance and so a qualified nurse would be able to deal with the situation.We must remember that she was NOT in prison but at the police station.WE are all very much aware of the Chansa Chabwela reporting and the two are not comparable. Child abuse is criminal and the police should not fail to investigate because the person under investigation is pregnant. The IG can only suspend the officer pending investigation into the matter.