The Zambian Police Service is more than historic in its treatment of certain cases or suspects. The measures applied in issues such as domestice violence are just off.
A woman goes to report that she has been battered the whole day and needs that the Police pick up her husband immediately to reduce further loss of property and bodly harm.
The Police man in charge, gives her a paper and starts asking her some personal questions that are unnecessary to the victim's well being, like where exactly does it hurt, what was he using to hit you, how many times, so how are you feeling.
Meanwhile the woman wants to break down and cry because she is being told that it is a domestic issue and the only thing she should do is seek some counselor who should try to mend the marriage, BULLSHIT, because her life is in danger.
The Police men start making jokes about how many battered women had reported the same issue for that particular night.
she suddenly hopes that because of the frequency they will take her serious and pick up her violent husband who had earlier vowed to kill her.
She looks at the cop and he continues scribbling and giving her a laugh, hoping, still hoping that if he sees her tears, he will chnage her mind and go and pick him up and arrest him if only for a night so that she could rest and heal.
He hands her the medical examination request slip for any local hospital to attend to her, how does she get their? Am sure he didnt think of it, he knew she was going back to her abuser. So she looks him in the eye and asks one thing- what if i die tonight, will you take me more seriously then?
She goes back home and her husband who is now dressed up for an expected arrest tells her that as soon as his out of jail, he batter not find her in his house, he thinks his getting arrested, the abuser knows he deserves to be arrested fo rthe damage he has caused, but the law thinks its a domestic issue, something they should not interfere into.
She cant sleep, her abuser is tired and in bed, so she leaves the sitting room and goes to sleep right next to him, stairing at him with such intensity that he wakes up, afraid, she is quiet, no smile, no expression, finally full of bad thoughts, thoughts of stabbing him right in the heart, pouring parrafin or petrol and setting him ablaze, making him bath some acid water, all this goes through her mind and more.
He gets out of bed turns off the lite, she switches it back on, he leaves the room hoping to find her aspleep, oh no she is still awake stairing at him , still expressionless
Now i wonder, what if she does something to him, what if she kills him, will it still be a civil issue needing a small peice of paper for examination? Or what if she burns him, will they still need a counselor?
The woman is left subjected to silly petty decrees of traditions and obligations of going back home to the batterer, what would happen if it was the other way round?
Would the Police men leave it for the next day?
Equality my foot!! There is need for justice for all.
More next time
A woman goes to report that she has been battered the whole day and needs that the Police pick up her husband immediately to reduce further loss of property and bodly harm.
The Police man in charge, gives her a paper and starts asking her some personal questions that are unnecessary to the victim's well being, like where exactly does it hurt, what was he using to hit you, how many times, so how are you feeling.
Meanwhile the woman wants to break down and cry because she is being told that it is a domestic issue and the only thing she should do is seek some counselor who should try to mend the marriage, BULLSHIT, because her life is in danger.
The Police men start making jokes about how many battered women had reported the same issue for that particular night.
she suddenly hopes that because of the frequency they will take her serious and pick up her violent husband who had earlier vowed to kill her.
She looks at the cop and he continues scribbling and giving her a laugh, hoping, still hoping that if he sees her tears, he will chnage her mind and go and pick him up and arrest him if only for a night so that she could rest and heal.
He hands her the medical examination request slip for any local hospital to attend to her, how does she get their? Am sure he didnt think of it, he knew she was going back to her abuser. So she looks him in the eye and asks one thing- what if i die tonight, will you take me more seriously then?
She goes back home and her husband who is now dressed up for an expected arrest tells her that as soon as his out of jail, he batter not find her in his house, he thinks his getting arrested, the abuser knows he deserves to be arrested fo rthe damage he has caused, but the law thinks its a domestic issue, something they should not interfere into.
She cant sleep, her abuser is tired and in bed, so she leaves the sitting room and goes to sleep right next to him, stairing at him with such intensity that he wakes up, afraid, she is quiet, no smile, no expression, finally full of bad thoughts, thoughts of stabbing him right in the heart, pouring parrafin or petrol and setting him ablaze, making him bath some acid water, all this goes through her mind and more.
He gets out of bed turns off the lite, she switches it back on, he leaves the room hoping to find her aspleep, oh no she is still awake stairing at him , still expressionless
Now i wonder, what if she does something to him, what if she kills him, will it still be a civil issue needing a small peice of paper for examination? Or what if she burns him, will they still need a counselor?
The woman is left subjected to silly petty decrees of traditions and obligations of going back home to the batterer, what would happen if it was the other way round?
Would the Police men leave it for the next day?
Equality my foot!! There is need for justice for all.
More next time
posted by Olivia Phiri at 5:42 AM
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