Sexual abuse of inmates in Maputo prison 'confirmed'

MAPUTO, Mozambique

The commission set up to investigate sexual exploitation in a women’s prison in Maputo has concluded that there was sexual abuse of inmates by prison guards and “external people”, but the cases occurred inside the prison.

In the final report, presented on Wednesday at a press conference in Maputo, the commission said it had found no evidence of the alleged network of sexual exploitation denounced by the NGO Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), in which prison guards force women inmates to leave the prison to engage in prostitution, but found cases of prison staff taking advantage of the vulnerable condition of inmates, who are sexually abused.

“On balance, the events [found by the psychologists] are characterised and classified in the form of sexual abuse in the prison system. Sexual abuse in prison happened in various forms,” said Elisa Samuel, the commission’s rapporteur, when reading the conclusions of the work.

According to the report, sexual abuse in prison was carried out by prison guards and by “external persons”, who entered the prison at parties promoted on weekends or holidays, with the complacency of senior prison officials.

“In other cases, officers demanded sex in exchange for food, drugs or promises of privileged treatment,” the commission’s rapporteur added.

The report added that inmates reported several cases in which they were forced to have abortions after relations with prison guards, some of which the commission described as “apparently consensual” although based on threats.

“The majority of inmates became pregnant more than once and were forced to have abortions, resorting to the services of nurses assigned to the prison,” reports the document, which suggests a specific legal instrument to penalise guards who engage with inmates.

The commission also suggests a reflection on the condition of women prisoners in Mozambique, warning that there may be similar cases in other prisons.

“The results of this investigation may not capture the scale of the problem, imposing the need to continue to investigate,” Samuel said, considering that the Centre for Public Integrity’s complaint has “gaps and shortcomings,” but it is important because it raises the debate on the situation of women prisoners in the country.

The report on the alleged network for sexual exploitation produced by the CIP indicated that women were forced to leave prison to become prostitutes, in a “lucrative business” and in which the prisoners were treated “as merchandise with a price”, only within the reach of people with some means in Maputo.

When reading the report of the commission of enquiry, led by the Ministry of Justice, the rapporteur said that during the investigations no evidence was found to show that inmates were forced to leave prison for prostitution, reiterating that it was found that there were cases of sexual exploitation, by prison guards and external agents, but all inside the establishment.

To carry out its work, the commission of enquiry conducted 53 interviews with inmates, met with the complainants, the CIP, and members of the suspended management.

The Special Penitentiary Establishment for Women in Maputo houses a total of 96 inmates, distributed over eight cells, with capacity for 20 people each.

The case raised the indignation of various sectors of Mozambican society, and a criminal complaint against the management of the prison was submitted to the Attorney General’s Office by 17 women’s rights organisations.