Police officer accused of raping daughter for five years shocks Maputo community

A 21-year-old woman reported her own father, a police officer with the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), for raping her for approximately five years. She also revealed that the abuse began in her adolescence, when she was forced to remain silent under threat of expulsion from her home and deprivation of food and education. The young woman became pregnant but was forced by her father to terminate the pregnancy. Her stepmother was aware of the abuse and tried unsuccessfully to intervene. The victim eventually sought help at a church, where the situation was revealed spiritually, leading her to admit to the abuse. To support her complaint, she recorded one of the acts and presented it as evidence.

 The case caused consternation in the community, with neighbors lamenting the incident and pointing the finger at the officer's behavior, which they considered shameful for the force. The neighborhood secretary suspects that quackery practices or mental disorders influenced the attacker's behavior. The young woman is now under protection and receiving psychological support while the investigation continues. Civil society organizations are calling for swift and impartial justice, emphasizing that the accused's position as a PRM officer should not be an obstacle to holding him accountable.