Kalulushi man charged for 'dog sex'

By ALEX NJOVU

POLICE have slapped indecent assault and defilement charges on the man believed to have been forcing girls to have sex with his dog.
They have also named the man as Evrt jan Wolf, 68, a Dutch engineer.
In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Copperbelt commissioner of police Mary Tembo said: “We have charged Mr Wolf with defilement and indecent assault because of the nature of the case.
“officers in Kalulushi gave him a lesser charge but since one of the girls was 15 years old at the time and the two others are aged 16, we decided to charge him with defilement and indecent assault too.”
But in a twist that has angered a Lusaka lawyer, police said they have released Mr jan Wolf on bond and he will appear in court soon, an appearance the lawyer doubts will happen since he has been on the run from October last year.
“You don’t give police bond to someone who has been eluding police for weeks or even months,” the lawyer said. “I doubt whether this suspect will appear for mention and I also doubt the police motive for the action but they know better I guess.”
Last year, angry Kalulushi residents ran riot and called for Mr jan Wolf’s arrest after a 16-year-old girl narrated her ordeal with his dog during a public meeting at the Kalulushi Mine Club.
Mr jan Wolf escaped the wrath of the residents and relocated to Lusaka before his capture.
In October, residents stormed Mr jan Wolf’s residence, shattered windows, looted household goods and partially set it ablaze.
The residents also thronged Kalulushi police station and accused the officers of corruption and allegedly intimidating key witnesses.
The residents engaged police in skirmishes and demanded the arrest of Mr jan Wolf, who had fled his home.
Police fired teargas canisters to disperse the crowd but the residents later regrouped and blocked roads with logs and stones.
The girl narrated how the man allegedly drugged her and forced her to have sex with his dog for over 45 minutes.
“I was at home cleaning plates when my friend asked me to escort her to see her boyfriend of European origin. When we arrived at his place, my friend introduced me to her boyfriend and offered me a drink which I took. A few minutes later, I started dosing and when I woke up, I found a dog having sex with me,” the girl said.
She accused police of allegedly tampering with evidence and claimed that her life is in danger because some police officers have issued death threats against her and her mother.
If he is found guilty of defilement, Mr jan Wolf may face up to 25 years in jail while the indecent assault case—a misdemeanour—will only earn him less than three years in jail if he is convicted.
And the Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) chairperson Beatrice Grillo has said government must urgently deal with sex offenders with the full force of the law.
Ms Grillo was speaking in an interview yesterday, in the wake of police arresting Mr jan Wolf.
“It is horrifying to have such a thing happening to our children. We appeal to the PF government to take drastic measures to put a stop to such degrading activities,” she said.
Ms Grillo said the man must not escape the law by any means.
She said such abominable acts must not be tolerated in the nation.
“We can’t have such things happening in our country and we just sit back, watching. This man must be caged,” Ms Grillo said.
She said the suspect was probably minting millions from selling the videos he was making of girls having sex with his dog.
And Ms Grillo said the country’s morals have declined drastically, resulting in some parents not questioning the activities of their children.
She said some parents are partially to blame for the moral decay in the country.
“Some children disappear from homes and come back with money and parents ask no questions. That is not right,” Mrs Grillo said.
She attributed the trend to growing poverty levels in the country.
She said commercial sex work involving young girls is an indicator that something is seriously wrong in the communities.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of police Martin Malama has called for concerted efforts by families and civil society to curb the escalating gender-based violence in the country.
In an interview yesterday, Dr Malama said the statistics recorded by the Victim Support Unit are alarming and require urgent attention from all stakeholders.
“The level of gender-based violence is worrying and  the Police is appealing to families, the Church and civil society organisations to intervene by way of counselling and other means, to help curb this growing social problem,” Dr Malama said.
Dr Malama said the Church and family members can make a big difference by counselling couples or reporting incidents of violence to the police in good time, to avoid senseless loss of life.
Dr Malama said the police are usually informed after a spouse has been murdered, which is too late.
He said timely intervention in family disputes by church and community leaders will not only save marriages but lives as well.
He said the Victim Support Unit and the Child Protection Unit of the Police Service are always available to deal with such matters.
“Spouses and children are being subjected to violence at home. The Church and community leaders are closer to families, so let them report to the police as soon as they observe abuse,” Dr Malama said.