Some men are concerned with the conduct of police who allegedly use their positions to pursue romantic relationships with women who visit police stations to report crimes.
This transpired during the Pigg’s Peak Men’s Lisango session held over the weekend. The initiative is aimed at addressing gender-based violence and mental health.
The participants condemned the alleged conduct, saying it undermines trust in law enforcement and contributes to the cycle of gender-based violence (GBV).
They said the police have a tendency of taking advantage of the women who report their partners when they have been involved in a domestic dispute.
One of the participants said police have a tendency of asking for sexual relations instead of providing professional assistance to their partners and sometimes the women end up succumbing to the proposals.
“This is dangerous because when the men find out about the relationship some end up beating the woman and that worsens the cycle of gender-based violence,” he said.
One participant stated that if an officer takes advantage of that moment to ask a woman out or propose a relationship, he is exploiting someone who is already vulnerable and that is unacceptable.
He said survivors of domestic violence were particularly vulnerable because they often sought police assistance during moments of emotional distress. He said any attempt by officers to initiate intimate relationships during such interactions represents a serious breach of professional ethics and can be perceived as coercive due to the imbalance of power.
He said police authorities need to strengthen oversight mechanisms, provide regular ethics training and establish confidential channels for reporting misconduct by officers.
He went on to state that there was a need to focus on men’s issues and their rights where they can be deliberated. He said men need to be taught their rights and women should also know what rights men have with the aim of avoiding the scourge of gender-based violence.
As efforts to combat gender-based violence continue, the participants stressed that restoring public confidence in the police is essential. They say victims must be able to enter a police station knowing they will be treated with dignity, respect and professionalism, free from intimidation, harassment or exploitation.
In response, Sergeant Sibusiso Shongwe from the Pigg’s Peak Crime Prevention Department said such behaviour was wrong and unlawful.
He said it was not the entire police service which did such, but a few individuals who needed to be reported. He mentioned that no one was above the law and if anyone came across such they needed to report that officer to his superiors.
On another note, Shongwe encouraged men to come out and speak against gender-based violence. He also implored men to report abuse as they were also victims of GBV. He mentioned that in most cases, men were the ones who took their lives.
