Police on the Copperbelt have picked five suspects who were captured in a viral video torturing a young woman who they accused of sleeping with their husbands.

In the video, the said gang of women is seen shoving a bottle of Castle Lager into her private parts as punishment while another woman is seen pouring hot chilli source, as the victim is heard screaming for help and pleading that she would not do it again.

Copperbelt Province Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga revealed in a statement, Tuesday, that the suspects had been identified as Precious Kapambwe aged 25 years of Mushili, Bridget Chisha aged 21 years of Lubuto West, Magrette Mwansa aged 25 years of Overspill, Catherine Banda aged 29 years also of Overspill area, and 29 year old Maureen Mutale of Independence Avenue Town Centre in Ndola.

Katanga reported that the incident occurred on December 1, 2018 around 20:00 hours when the 21 year old victim identified as Denise Mwanakubwila was drinking beer at Start Point at Masala main market in Ndola with a Mr Harrison Mwanza the husband to Precious Kapambwe.

Katanga stated that it was at that point when Kapambwe showed up in the company of the named women and attacked her.

She further revealed that the victim sustained bruises inside the vagina and general body pains.

“Indecent Assault on Female OB No 8285/18.Occurred on 01/12/18 at 20:00hrs at house number 6970 Chinese Complex Complainant being Female Denise Mwanakubwila aged 21 yrs of house number 2180 New Mushili who complained that she was indecently assaulted by the 5 women she identified as F/Precious Kapambwe aged 25 yrs of the above address. Female Bridget Chisha aged 21yrs of house number 6446 Lubuto West, female Magrette Mwansa aged 25 yrs of house number 1028 Overspill, female Catherine Banda aged 29 yrs of house number of the above address and F/Maureen Mutale aged 29 yrs of house number 26 Independence Avenue Town Centre, Ndola. She sustained bruises inside the vagina and general body pains. The incident happened when the complainant was drinking beer at Start Point at Masala main market with male Harrison Mwanza the husband to female Precious Kapambwe. Whilst there, the wife to male Harrison Mwanza showed up in the company of the named women,” Katanga disclosed in a statement.

Katanga narrated that Kapambwe’s husband upon seeing the gang of women headed by his wife going for his lover, fled the scene.

“Upon seeing that, the husband run away leaving the victim alone. Precious Kapambwe and her friends picked the victim by force and took her to a house where she was forced to undress. She was held on both hands and legs by four women and the firth one inserted an empty bottle of Castle Lager into her private part causing her to sustain the said injuries. One of them started making a video and taking pictures. Police visited the scene and apprehended the named suspects and recovered two cell phones containing the video and pictures and clothes belonging to the victim and kept them as exhibit. The five suspects are in police custody charged with the subject offence. Dockets have been opened and arrest have been made. The same will appear before court on Monday,” stated Katanga.

And the Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has demanded justice in the case.

“NGOCC condemns in the strongest terms the assault of a woman by fellow women in a video that has gone viral on social media in which some women are visibly abusing another whom they have accused of being in a relationship with a married man. The conduct of the women in the video is not only cruel, but inhuman and an abuse of the other woman’s rights. The behaviour of the women to undress and dehumanise a fellow woman is the worst form of indignity and a violation of human rights that any human being can be exposed to,” read the NGOCC statement.

“As an organisation we have this morning engaged the Zambia Police command to demand the immediate arrest of those women for their barbaric conduct. It is therefore good that all those that were involved have since been arrested by the police on the Copperbelt. Nothing can justify their inhuman and degrading treatment of a fellow human being in such a manner. NGOCC will follow this case to its logical conclusion to ensure that justice is done. In the meantime our members are working with the police to help the victim with some counselling in view of the traumatising experience. Zambians must desist from taking the law into their own hands by engaging in mob justice.”