Mozambique: Police stray bullet hit woman’s abdomen, not her leg – O País

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Mozambique: Police stray bullet hit woman’s abdomen, not her leg – O País

3:09 CAT | 28 Jun 2021

Photo: O País

In contrast to information released on Thursday, that a stray bullet fired by police during search operations in Maputo’s Mafalala neighbourhood hit a woman in the leg, it in fact struck her abdomen, with potentially far graver consequences.

Police Leonel Muchina said on Thursday that the shooting was accidental and that the bullet hit a non-vital location. “And this shot targeted a citizen in a non-lethal area, we are referring to the leg,” he said.

This, however, is contradicted by information obtained by the newspaper ‘O País’ from hospital sources, who say that the bullet hit the abdomen, which contains vital organs such as the small and large intestines, cecum and appendix. Also in the abdomen are accessory digestive system organs such as the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, as well as the urinary system comprising the kidneys and ureters.

The victim, Rosa Carlos Tembe, was admitted to the emergency unit of the José Macamo General Hospital, from where, due to the seriousness and complexity of her injuries, she was transferred to Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), where she is currently hospitalised.

“The patient has been admitted to the surgical ward and is being observed by specialists,” Simão Manhique, a doctor at the HCM Emergency Services confirmed. Asked if Rosa Carlos Tembe was still at risk, he replied that “the patient is, at this moment, stable”.

President of the Human Rights Commission of the Mozambican Bar Association, Ferosa Zacarias, is however demanding that the PRM be held accountable for the damage caused both to the victim and to those who had their homes vandalised.

“In the first instance, the police are expected to bear responsibility for medical care. That said, there is a need to carry out an internal investigation, so that it can be ascertained if it really was an accidental shot. And, through legal mechanisms, there is room for possible administrative or criminal liability, which may later come with possible compensation, because we do not know in what condition the citizen will find herself, from now on,” he detailed.

It should be noted that the PRM search in Mafalala began at 5:00 a.m., while Article 212 of the Penal Code, number 1, determines that searches of inhabited houses or closed premises must be carried out from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., under penalty of nullity, and such searches may only occur upon order or authorisation of a judge.

Source: O País