POLICE SAY WOMAN CLAIMING TO HAVE BEEN BEATEN BY HUSBAND WAS DRUNK AND ALLEGEDLY HIT HERSELF AGAINST THE WALL
STATEMENT: There are posts on social media depicting a female adult believed to have been assaulted, who is alleging that she did not receive help from police officers after reporting a case of assault.
What transpired was that police officers at Lesolei police in Ngombe received a complaint from Brian Nalishuwa of Roma Park that his wife was in a drunken state, violent and that she was using abusive language in the presence of their children thereby traumatising them .
This is reported to have occured on 19th January, 2021 at about 22 40 hours in Roma Park.
Police officers followed up the report and picked Andika Nalishuwa who was found in a drunken state and was found with a cut on the forehead which the husband purported that was sustained after hitting herself against the wall of the fence of their house.
Officers wanted to issue Mrs Nalishuwa with a medical report form to be taken to Medical practitioners for them to indicate their findings but Mrs Nalishuwa could not cooperate with the police at the police post and she did refuse to have a medical report form issued to her. She demanded that she be taken back home using a Police vehicle and police officers advised Brian Nalishuwa to look for alternative accommodation for that night.
We are categorically stating that at no point did Mrs Nalishuwa report a matter of Assault to police but that it is her husband who went to seek help from the police.
As to the allegation that police handed the children to the accused person , the husband in this case, the correct position is that the children themselves opted to go with their father and no one forced them to do so, it was out of their own free will.
Police officers are still making follow ups on this matter and there was nothing sinister in the manner the police officers handled this matter as alleged by Mrs Nalishua.
Our resolve as Zambia Police is to serve the people of Zambia with diligence and we have been working tirelessly to protect victims of crime, Gender Based Violence victims inclusive.
In conducting our constitutional mandate, we request that members of the public cooperate with the officers who are there to serve them rather than abusing them or publishing unsubstantiated matters aimed at eroding people’s confidence in the institution.
ESTHER MWAATA KATONGO
ZAMBIA POLICE SPOKESPERSON