The Omusati region recorded 133 rape cases reported from January last year.
So far, 13 cases were reported just this month.
Omusati Police commander Ismael Basson said amongst the 133 cases reported, is the case of a 37-year-old Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (Elcin) pastor who is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl between June 2020 and September 2022 at Okando village in Okalongo constituency.
It is alleged that the suspect raped the minor on five different occasions and fathered the victim’s baby.
The accused who appeared in the Outapi Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday is identified as Aipinge Shivute. The court denied him bail and postponed his case to 17 June for further investigations.
The police have confirmed that they will be conducting a DNA test to ascertain if the man of the cloth is indeed the biological father of the baby.
Last week, another pastor, Elikana David (33) from Okandi village, in the Etayi constituency, was arrested for allegedly raping three of his female congregation members. He was denied bail by the Outapi Magistrate’s Court.
David faces three counts of rape, one count of kidnapping, and one count of abduction, and his case was postponed to 12 June.
It is alleged that the suspect raped the women on separate occasions.
The police indicated that the accused on 9 February raped the 24-year-old, on 16 February he proceeded to rape a 17-year-old girl and on 24 February he sexually violated a 19-year-old woman.
It is alleged that the women occasionally cleaned his room, and once in the process, the pastor would allegedly walk in and lock the doors before proceeding to rape them.
In an interview with New Era on Wednesday, Omusati police spokesperson Anna Kunga said rape cases are increasing daily.
However, families reporting such cases later make it difficult for the police to investigate matters promptly.
“Especially when the suspect and the victim are related. It takes a long time for the family to come together and discuss the matter whether they will report it or not, while some people might be against the allegation,” she stressed.
Kunga added that women and girls are often threatened with violence if they tell anyone once they have been raped by men known to them, and this fear sometimes causes the cases to be reported
late.
“It is, therefore, very important that all cases of rape are reported early to the nearest police station so that the police can act on time,” he urged.
Kunga said people should also stop giving domestic work to unknown men from faraway places because these are the same people who are likely to rape girls at home.
According to police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi, anyone who feels their rights are violated is at liberty to open a case regardless of when it happened.
“The Namibian Police have no time limit for reporting rape cases,” she explained.
-vkaapanda@nepc.com.na