NGOCC expresses shock over Mongu pupils pregnancies

NGOCC expresses shock over Mongu pupils pregnancies
By Kombe Chimpinde
Sun 18 Mar. 2012, 11:59 CAT

NGOCC has described as shocking the revelation that 30 girls of Limulunga High School were impregnated by police officers when they camped at the institution after the January 2011 fracas. And former Luena member parliament Charles Milupi has disclosed that similar cases of police officers impregnating girls happened at Kambule High School.

Reacting to revelations made in Parliament on Friday that about 30 pupils in Luena Constituency were impregnated by police officers accommodated at Limulunga High School where they had been sent to quell the Mongu riots, Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Council board chairperson Beatrice Grillo said her organisation had received the news with shock.

Grillo demanded that all police officers that were responsible for the atrocity must be brought to book.

"It is very atrocious for the body of individuals that we have entrusted the safety of our citizens to do such things. This is very shocking and despicable," Grillo said.

She said her organisation would follow the matter up to its logical conclusion to ensure everyone that was responsible is brought to book.

"The atrocities also must be blamed on the authorities that were in office that time for their negligence," she said.

Grillo said there should be no sacred cows when dealing with the matter.

And Milupi, who is also ADD leader, said acts perpetrated by police officers under the Rupiah Banda regime were equivalent to genocide against the people of that area.

"If people remember, in Parliament I raised a question on the housing of police officers at Limulungu school and Kambule (high school). I said these were co-education schools, it was precisely because of female pupils. The fact that this has happened is a fulfilment of the concerns I raised," said Milupi.

"This is why I have so much hate for the last administration. I am told they are also some (girls) at Kambule. No government can camp police officers at school premises. These are matters that I spoke about with the Ministry of Education and Home Affairs. The lives of those girls have been destroyed."