‘It’s disgrace, disheartening’
MANZINI – “This is a disgrace and set to destabilise the spirit of the Easter services.”
The League of African Churches President Bishop Samson Hlatjwako said this in reaction to the six women, who were sexually violated while they were camping in the various tents at Lobamba, as they attended the Easter services over the past weekend.
Hlatjwako said: “This is disheartening as the women were there to attend the services. Such an act will instill fear among many, such that they will shun partaking in the services.” He said the law should take its course, as this was a very unorthodox act by the perpetrators. The bishop further extended an apology to the guardians and the survivors for what befell them.
Survivors
He said it was unfortunate that the survivors had been permitted to partake in the Easter services, only to be exposed to uncivilised men. It is worth noting that at the beginning of the Easter services, Hlatjwako had advised the congregants to walk in groups, to avoid people taking advantage of them in any form.
On the other hand, Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni said a suspect had been arrested. She said the suspect was yet to be presented for psychiatric evaluation.
Meanwhile, this publication, on Monday, reported that six cases were reported over the three days in which the services were held, following that the survivors were violated by different perpetrators in separate incidents.
In one of the sexual violations, one of the women was said to have woken up feeling that she had been desecrated in her sleep.
This, it was said, happened while some of the people she resided with, in the tent, were not around.
In another incident, another woman is said to have been violated by her boyfriend. The woman is said to have not consented to the act, which resulted in her reporting the incident to members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS).
The sources claimed that some of the sexual violations happened also along the routes leading to the various camping sites. The sources claimed that the perpetrators took advantage of the fact that the camp sites for the Christians who were attending the Easter services were in various locations and resulted in some worshippers walking alone.
On the other hand, previously, this publication reported a poignant story of six minors who were allegedly raped by a 23-year-old man of Malkerns, who would invite them to his house to watch TV, knowing very well that he had furtive intentions. Two of the minors are aged eight, while three of them are nine years old. The other one is a 10-year-old girl.
In a report that was compiled by a social worker and forwarded to the High Court, it was revealed that after the alleged sexual encounters with the minors, the accused would give each of them E1, E10 or E5 and told them to buy chips and sweets.