Community pressure leads to arrest of alleged rapist

By Confidente Reporter
OTJIWARONGO residents are alleging tremendous political pressure on the family of a 14-year-old girl impregnated by a 50-year-old man who is married to Swapo councillor and personal assistant of Otjozondjupa Governor, Sonia Iyambo.
Residents say that since the matter came under the public spotlight last month, the minor’s family has reportedly been under immense pressure to settle the issue mutually pointing out that the suspect, a fire brigade officer, Paulus Iyambo was only arrested nearly three months after the minor gave birth to a baby girl.
To make matters worse and further complicated, the minor’s father was quoted in a local publication defending the man accused of having raped and impregnated his daughter with the view that if he goes to jail, nobody will take care of the their baby.
At the time the father also said that the suspect had told him that he would financially support the minor and the baby hence his reluctance to report the matter to police. Residents however said that the minor’s father found it difficult to report the suspect who works for the fire brigade where he (the father) is a security guard.
Police said that the suspect was arrested on July 27 and appeared in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate’s Court on July 29 where his bail application was postponed to yesterday.
Although police said that the minor’s father eventually opened a case of statutory rape against the suspect, officials in the Ministry of Gender said that police acted after intense pressure from the public.
The officials also said that the minor gave birth via C-section in April and that both mother and child are doing fine. “They are doing very well and are currently in the care of one of the minor’s aunts. She will return to school next year and is still under counselling.”
Sonia when contacted for comment laughed at allegations of alleged political pressure on the matter but quickly defended her husband whom she said was being attacked unfairly.
“I don’t want to comment on this matter because people are busy tarnishing that poor man’s (Paulus) name. They are lying, there are people at the forefront of this thing so I don’t want to comment,” she retorted.