NGOCC Executive Director Engwase Mwale says it is barbaric for a police officer to take naked pictures of female detainees.

Last week, Police in North Western Province arrested their fellow officer, Constable Kalebwe for making made obscene materials after convincing suspects that the Zambia Police Command in Lusaka wanted to use the nude pictures as part of police procedure.

“On 7th November, 2017 at around 21:30 hours at Kasempa police station, officer No 43948 Constable Kalebwe, was alone at the inquiries office due to the fact that most officers were out for special duties. The officer decided to take nude pictures of two female suspects namely Grace Sitampa (mother) and Dyness Sitampa (daughter) detained in police custody for the offence of murder. He took them out of the cell to a private room where he told them that as per procedure, he needed to photograph them whilst naked,” stated North Western police Commissioner Auxensio Daka.

But Mwale said all detainees’ rights were supposed to be respected.

“Without doubt we condemn that barbaric conduct by the police officer and I think that the law must take its course against him. I think that’s the highest level of indignity that anyone can be exposed to, to be paraded naked especially a woman, I think that’s very very unfortunate and the law must take its course. While people are in detention, they have the right that they enjoy and those rights must be respected. It is very unfortunate that there are police officers who can engage in such illegal acts going to an extent of making people parade themselves naked. As an organization we will take keen interest in the matter to ensure that the officer who was involved faces the law,” said Mwale.