By Mohamed T. Massaquoi
Two police officers in the eastern Pujehun District are under investigation over alleged involvement in a case of gang rape.
The men are accused of raping a fellow female police officer.
They have been suspended pending investigation, according to a senior police officer.
Inspector Michael Tommy, Regional Proactive Officer, Complain, Discipline, Internal Investigation Department (CDIID) of the Sierra Leone Police, identified the accused as the head of OSD and a constable, both attached to the Pujehun Divisional Headquarters. He said they were suspended on charges of "misconduct."
The accused were alleged to have had sexual intercourse with a female police officer unwillingly in the office of the head of the local OSD head whilst on duty at night.
Inspector Tommy told politico that his department received the report on 25 November. He said the CDIID was handling the matter from the point of view of misconduct and that the Police Family Support Unit was expected to handle the issue of sexual offense.
"The two police officers were suspended on the basis of the fact that they made an attempt to tamper with the integrity of the witness to influence the investigations,” he said, adding: "The mandate of the CDIID is to investigate police officers for misconduct and not cases of sexual offences."
Chief Superintendent Nathaniel Brewah of the Pujehun Divisional Headquarters earlier confirmed the "gang rape" incident which he said occurred on November 23.
The victim, according to a witness, was taken to the police station at night by some members of the local community after they had found her drunk at a bar. It is suspected that it’s at that point that she was raped by two officers on duty at the time.
Superintendent Brewah vowed to set an example of the accused.
"I am fed-up with the attitude of most of my police officers, simply because they don't behaved to expectation," he said.
Sergeant Lahai Koroma, Line Manager at the Family Support Unit
in Pujehun, said the victim was suspended because of her refusal to cooperate with the investigators. He said despite the presence of evidence, as indicated by the medical report, the victim continues to deny that she had been raped.
Pujehun is known to be a hotspot for sexual based violence, especially against women and girls.
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