Mchinji records high suicide, defilement cases in 2015

Police in Mchinji say despite the district recording a reduction in robbery and theft cases in 2015, it has registered a higher number of suicide and defilement cases compared to the past years.

Mchinji Police spokesperson Moses Nyirenda said in 2015 alone, 60 defilement and 27 suicide cases were recorded in the district.

“As police we are concerned because these cases happen discreetly and as [such] we cannot prevent them apart from our usual sensitisation meetings with the public,” he said.

Nyirenda said most of the reported defilement cases occurred in families where fathers or uncles defiled young girls aged 10 and below.

He also noted that most people who committed suicide never left suicide notes making it hard for the police to establish the reasons behind their deaths.

Nyirenda then called on the civil society and other stakeholders to hold more sensitisation meetings with the public to end defilement cases.

“As police we are trying our best to prosecute the offenders and the courts are giving them tough sentences, but this has still not stopped people from abusing the young ones,” he said.

He also called on people who have problems to share them with friends and go for counselling instead of taking their own lives.

Apart from defilement and suicide cases, Mchinji also recorded a high number of domestic violence cases.n