Justice Does Not Come Cheap

Oct 8 , 2022
By Eden Sahle ( Eden Sahle is founder and CEO of Yada Technology Plc. She has studied law with a focus on international economic law. She can be reached at edensah2000@gmail.com. )

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Crime is rising, and one of the reasons could be the police force's dereliction and inability to perform their duties. Rape, organized robbery, physical i n j u r y, and k i l l i n g have reached an alarming level. Law enforcement misconduct adds

more pain to the victims and their families. Officers, who perform their tough jobs in compliance with the law, are inadequate.

There are many cases where police officers violate victims' rights. On their first encounter, victims claim that they were asked for money to report a crime to the police. Several victims paid thousands, hoping to get their cases resolved. They

even demanded to hire a car or drive around police officers, for some officers ask transportation

services to perform their public duty.

Searching for justice, victims spent several hours a day in police stations. Justice does not come cheap.

To highlight some, when underage or adult rape victims report a case, the police officers interrogate them if they have allegedly seduced the accuser or if they were willing to go along with the act before they change their mind. Many rape victims and their family members are belittled and shamed by such reactions. Some overlook informing victims to undergo medical check-ups before losing material evidence. They negligently ignore the importance of victim protection, especially when the offender is a family member or somebody who lives close to the victim. Such could cause further injuries or even death towards the victims.

Robbery victims who lost their employer's properties are considered suspects. Many have spent time in jail straggling to clear their name while the officers settled with their first assumption. The primary suspects in such cases are responsible for the missing item. But, some victims of such instances change their residence for fear of captivity and denies the proper justice.

This does not mean that such related things happen in every corner of law enforcement areas. Below is my personal experience when seeking justice for the crime against my family and me.

Our house was robbed in broad daylight almost 10 months ago. They asked us to pay an "investigation fee" when we reported the incident. The lead investigator sat down and explained why we had to pay. The station is under budget, which compelled the officers to ask money from victims of crime "so  that the case can reach court."

When my family refused to pay, they instantly dropped the case and freed the prime suspect in our presence. We walked out from the police station in disbelief but witnessed the process when many faced the same disappointment from the neighbourhood.

As much as the many valuable things we lost, how the police handled the case scared us the most. We ended up being grateful as we met many people at the police station who lost a loved one in a robbery, and their cases ended up just being "files reported."

From all the inconveniences I have experienced, I have to appreciate a particular law enforcement sector integrated as community policing, a.k.a 'Civil Police'. They uphold justice and bring offenders before the law quickly. They seem keen to witness the court proceedings to ensure those who broke the law are held accountable. Their dedication usually triumphs when victims receive justice for crimes committed against\ them. Their tactics, strategies, and commitment to responding to crime should be a lesson for many others.

Good policing is the duty of each police officer. They are responsible for ensuring and acting in the public's best interests. Safeguard the public and improve the safety of the people; the public will hand its undivided trust.

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PUBLISHED ON Oct 08,2022 [ VOL 23 , NO 1171]

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