A Bulawayo resident living at the Ngozi Mine squatter camp was severely attacked by police officers, who accused her of harbouring a criminal boyfriend.
The police officers later charged the victim with defeating the course of justice after she lodged an official complaint over the assault.
Senelani Moyo (38) is still nursing the injuries she suffered at the hands of the police officers in January.
The police officers broke into her room as she was sleeping, claiming they were searching for a suspect; Last Mhlanga, who was her boyfriend.
All hell broke loose after they did not find Mhlanga, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) lawyers representing the victim said.
Moyo was assaulted by the police on three different occasions.
She later filed a police report against the officers who assaulted her, but no docket was opened, drawing the interest of the ZLHR.
ZLHR lawyer Prisca Dube said they had written a letter of complaint against the police officers.
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She said the complaint was directed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s officer commanding district.
Dube said a complaint was filed through Jabulani Mhlanga of ZLHR on January 18.
She said on January 16 this year, police visited Moyo’s shelter around 4am and broke into her shack saying they were looking for her boyfriend over some alleged crime.
“They started assaulting her for harbouring a criminal,” she said.
“Moyo went to Cowdray Park police to make a complaint in the manner in which she had been treated because she was in pain and she needed medical treatment.
“She was then given a request for medical attention, but no docket was opened against the police officers.
“She went to Mpilo Hospital to seek medication and she was advised to seek the services of ZLHR.”
She said on January 18 they wrote a letter of complaint against the police officer to the officer in charge at Cowdray Park.
The letter was copied to the officer commanding Bulawayo.
“Instead of responding to that letter, Moyo was asked to visit a police station where she was accused of defeating the course of justice,” Dube said.
Dube said this happened a week after they had filed a letter of complaint.
Moyo was later taken to court on charges of defeating the course of justice.
“On the last day in court, further remand was refused, but it does not mean that the case has been finalised, they can summon her anytime,” Dube said.
As a follow up to her previous letter of complaint, on January 25, Moyo through her lawyer, wrote another letter to the police complaining about the abuse at the hands of the officers.
“We advise that we have not received any response in relation to the complaint made and in the meantime our client as a law-abiding citizen has been assisting the police with information about the whereabouts of the suspect,” the ZLHR wrote.
"She made a complaint at the police station, but no action was taken except that of charging her with defeating the course of justice."
The police are still yet to respond to the letters of complaint filed by Moyo's lawyers.
