AS of yesterday, 13 rape cases had been reported in the Ohangwena region alone since the beginning of this year.
According to Ohangwena police spokesperson sergeant Abner Itumba, most cases involve older men raping girls who are their relatives.
“This is a worrisome trend. I do not know what is happening with our men in Ohangwena,” he told The Namibian yesterday.
“I think men should discuss this issue among themselves so that they discourage each other from carrying out such evil deeds,” he stated.
Itumba stressed that statistics only show reported cases, but said incidents of rape could be higher in the region as many victims do not report the attacks to the police either out of fear, or being offered money to buy their silence.
The latest rape case in the region happened on Wednesday last week when a 55-year-old man allegedly raped his 15-year-old niece at the Onamundidi village of the Ohangwena region.
According to Itumba, the victim, who is a neighbour of the accused, borrowed his hoe to cultivate their field. When she returned the hoe, she reportedly found the uncle cooking, and he invited her to wait for the meal.
After they had eaten, the man allegedly dragged her to his hut and raped her. Upon returning home, the teenager told an aunt, who informed the police. The man was arrested on Friday, and appeared in the Eenhana Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
In Oshikoto, a 21-year-old woman was raped at the Oscar Norich Stadium at Tsumeb on Saturday night by a known suspect.
The police said the victim was on her way home to Kuvukiland during the night after leaving a bar when the suspect dragged her to the stadium, and raped her. The man has not been arrested yet.
Also in Oshikoto, a station wagon sideswiped a truck travelling in the opposite direction, and overturned.
The occupants of both vehicles were not injured.
On Thurday last week, an Outapi policeman was hit by a speeding car at Okatope in the Oshikoto region. He sustained injuries.
The Oshikoto police said sergeant Josef Aindongo (43) was driving a police truck when he lost control and hit a bridge. As he and colleague sergeant Elifas Amukwaya (44), were assessing the damage to the truck, a speeding BMW hit Aindongo. He sustained fractured legs and head injuries, and is being treated in the Onandjokwe hospital.
The driver of the BMW, who is from the Ongha village in Ohangwena, was arrested.