LHRC condemns heinous gang rape and sexual abuse in Yombo, Dar es Salaam.

The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) strongly condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the brutal act of sexual abuse and gang rape involving a girl residing in Yombo, Temeke District, Dar es Salaam.

Reports allege that the girl was raped and sodomized by five men believed to be Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) military servants. The perpetrators video-recorded themselves while committing this brutality against the girl. After recording, they published the videos through various online platforms. The recorded video was allegedly published under the orders of their unnamed female leader in the military, who reportedly directed them to punish the girl who is alleged to have had an affair with this unnamed female military leader. This allegation is supported by the same perpetrators recording themselves confirming this as a motivation for their evil act.

LHRC, as part of the Tanzanian community, is deeply saddened by this brutality. We demand that all five perpetrators and their master who ordered them, according to their statements, be arrested and brought to justice.

Our Tanzanian military, which is respected across Africa and the world, must ensure it distances itself from this rape scandal. All security forces should unite in identifying and apprehending the perpetrators. If they are indeed military servants, they should face military and civilian penalties to ensure justice is served and restore the community's trust in our military.

We call on the President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, as a mother and commander-in-chief, to publicly condemn this act of humiliation and brutality against a young girl, both as a parent and as a leader responsible for protecting Tanzanian citizens.

If we turn a blind eye to these issues, they will continue to emerge in our society under the guise of people using their positions to harm and humiliate others.

This incident is part of a series of extreme acts of brutality in our society that LHRC has continuously condemned. Article 12 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania protects the dignity of recognizing and valuing humanity for both men and women and opposes any form of discrimination.

The 1979 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women emphasizes that discrimination against women violates the principles of equality and respect for human dignity. Article 3 of the Additional Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo) obligates member states to protect women’s dignity.

This incident is also a serious criminal offense of gang rape, and according to Penal Code Cap 16 Section 131A, the punishment is life imprisonment. Besides rape, there are other criminal offenses, such as sodomy (an unnatural offense) and the distribution of obscene images online, which is cybercrime.

LHRC calls on Tanzanians to raise their voices until these individuals are arrested and legal action is taken against them.