Police force 16 year old into marriage

A 16-year-old girl stunned the Mzuzu Juvenile Court on Tuesday when she claimed that two police officers from the Northern region forced her to marry a man she never loved in exchange for police bail.
The girl, (name withheld for ethical purposes), told First Grade Magistrate Anthony Banda that two police officers from Enukweni Police Unit in Mzuzu, Malawi’s only city in the Northern region, threatened her with pro-longed detention if she rebuffed their idea of marrying the policemen’s preferred man.
The two police officers, identified as Sergeant Meckson Kayange and Constable Ishmael Rashid, forced the school-going girl to marry Kondwani Nyirenda. The officers have since been summoned to appear before the court.
“While in police custody, the two officers told me that I would be released on bail if I paid K6, 500,” said the girl, who was arrested on arson charges.
Her grandmother was forced to borrow K5, 500 to have the girl released, but the two officers received the money and refused to release the girl.
The girl told the court that the two officers only agreed to release her after the grandmother followed up the issue, and on condition that she does not return home but marry Nyirenda.
However, according to information presented in court, the girl went home and did not marry Nyirenda.
After noting this, the officers accompanied by a man from the area’s community police went to the girl’s home and threatened to beat and lock her up if she never honoured the condition.
The girl obliged and has been staying with Nyirenda till the day the matter went to court.
The girl said she was forced to reveal the officers’ conduct because, despite her honouring the ‘bail’ condition, the two officers have not returned the K5, 500 they received- and which the grandmother was failing to repay the lenders.
Police bail is free under Malawi laws, though it remains common practice for police officers to demand money in return for bail across the country.
Magistrate Banda ordered the two officers, Nyirenda and the grandmother to appear before court. However, he failed to hear the matter last Wednesday because the girl failed to come in time due to heavy rains that rocked Mzuzu on the day.
The case resumed Monday this week and will continue throughout the week.
If the allegations are proved true, Nyirenda could be convicted for rape because “submitting to sex because of threats is equivalent to rape”, said prosecutors.
The police officers could also be guilty of selling police bail, which is free. They could also answer charges of aiding a rapist.