Last week in Kinshasa, the MONUSCO police (UNPOL) trained twenty Congolese judicial police officers on handling cases related to gender-based sexual violence.
From May 11 to 15, the participants notably learned how to draft official reports, identify offenses, conduct targeted interviews, and collaborate effectively with magistrates in order to streamline the processing of sexual violence cases.
According to the organizers, the objective is to equip the Congolese police with the skills needed to better support victims of sexual violence and ensure improved administration of justice.
“This is a constantly evolving field. Laws change over time,” acknowledged Chief Commissioner Ornella Zawadi Musoki, noting that “not all judicial police officers have yet sufficiently mastered the recent legal developments” introduced in the area of sexual violence.
UNPOL regularly organizes this type of training to provide continuous professional development for the Congolese police and strengthen their ability to defend citizens and protect the most vulnerable against sexual violence.
“We must strengthen the skills of judicial police officers in order to first ensure the victim’s safety and fight impunity. We are in a country where rape and other gender-based sexual violence offenses occur frequently. Therefore, if judicial police officers are not properly trained, many criminal acts and offenses will go unpunished,” explained Mélanie Ngandu, a member of the prosecutor’s office who was among the trainers.
Beyond technical instruction, the initiative also included a more human dimension: encouraging police officers to ensure that victims are better listened to and supported. This should help judicial procedures become faster and more credible.
“This training represents a major need for the police, who are in direct contact with the population and with victims,” said Chief Commissioner Ornella Zawadi Musoki enthusiastically. “It is essential to strengthen police officers’ knowledge so they can effectively fulfill their mission of protecting people, particularly in the specific context of protecting victims of sexual violence.”
Exchanges between magistrates and police officers, which are essential to the proper functioning of the justice system, often reveal difficulties in drafting official reports, transmitting medical records, and providing support to victims. This training sought to address these shortcomings.
Stéphane KABANGA et Joël BOFENGO
