Kasama sub




		Number 61 February 2004




		Kasama Sub-Inspector Refuses To Issue Medical Report By Delphine Hampande A Kasama named Sub-Inspector last month told a rape victim that he was not going to issue her with a medical report unless she met his condition. The named Sub-Inspector had demanded that the victim pays him K30, 000.00 in order for him to issue a medical report. But Kasama paralegal handling the matter Deogratious Mutale said it was the duty of police officers to issue medical reports to complainants without any conditions. "No condition must be set by any police officer in order to issue a medical report, as it was free of charge. This was very wrong ",Mutale said. Mutale said the matter was a serious one that involved rape and so the Sub- Inspector would have issued a medical report and later on arrest the culprit. "He refused to issue a medical report to a complainant because she did not pay him, this led him not to arrest the culprit because of the condition which was wrong and unacceptable, Mutale complained. He said this case involves a woman who was raped by a known person who broke into her house at night and raped her after he threatened to kill her. He said after police refused to assist her with a medical report she sought assistance from Kasama's Nondo local court but was referred back to the same police station, but to no avail. Mutale said the victim went to Mbala hospital where she was attended to but was later advised to go back to police for a medical report. It was at this point that she decided to go to Kasama Legal Resources Foundation LRF office in order to help her get a medical report. Mutale said he followed up the matter at the police and that he was still pursuing the case.