Zambia: The police force Chipata District in Eastern Province has arrested HIV/AIDS Activist for raping a 13-year-old girl of Mchini township. The police has identified the suspect as a Emmanuel Kaoma meanwhile, the officers choose not to reveal the identity of the victim.
Originally, the police force of Eastern Province, Chipata District filed the case on March 21, after which Kaoma was on the run. Eastern Province Police Deputy Commissioner Stephen Mayoko announced in a recent update that they have successfully arrested the culprit.
According to the sources, Kaoma was eventually arrested during a flag-off of World Aids Day 2023 march past.
“The suspect who has been on the run from March 2023 was finally apprehended on December 1, 2023. He has since been charged for defilement and will appear in court soon,” the Deputy Commanding Officer said.
The suspect recently disclosed his HIV/AIDS status since December 2018 during the International Candlelight Memorial Service held in Chipata.
Meanwhile, a Children’s Rights Activist Ruth Phiri is saddened by the alleged defilement case committed by Kaoma noting that his action was contrary to what he stood for as an activist.
“It is quite unfortunate witnessing the person who happens to be an HIV activist, in this case, defiling a girl.” She said.
The girl, according to the childrens’ rights activist, was hoping that somebody in that position should have been in the forefront to set a good example by protecting our girl child.”
Phiri added that the action by Kaoma had the potential to dent the image of activists. The advocacy profession could be subjected to scrutiny by the public. Meanwhile, the action could also potentially expose the child to HIV/AIDS.
She further expressed her disappointment on the escalating cases of defilements in the province. She called on relevant stakeholders who are involved in the provision of counselling services to come on board and help the girl in question.
More than 175 girls were reportedly defiled in Eastern Province in the first and second quarters of 2023. This statistic is a cause of significant concerns for people of Zambia and especially the eastern province.