Teacher’s alleged jail rape by ex-learner raises inmate safety concerns
The alleged rape of a schoolteacher by his former pupil while in custody at the Rundu police holding cells has cast a harsh spotlight on inmate safety conditions within police detention facilities across Namibia.
According to information obtained by Namibian Sun, the teacher was arrested in April on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and placed in the police cells while awaiting his first court appearance.
There, he encountered Claus Do Santos Funete, a former learner, who was also in custody at the time.
Funete, along with another detainee, Johannes Tapalo Furai, allegedly viciously assaulted the teacher on 19 April by inserting a broomstick – reportedly covered with a condom – into his anus.
The incident is documented in police records.
Both suspects, already facing charges including robbery and housebreaking, have now also been charged with rape, assault and extortion. The extortion charge relates to alleged threats made against the teacher, demanding he pay them N$1 500, which he reportedly did.
Funete and Furai made their second court appearance in Rundu last week. Their case was postponed to 9 September for further police investigations. They were denied bail at their initial appearance on 29 April.
Unsafe and hostile
Investigations by Namibian Sun have revealed that the Rundu holding cells are plagued by reports of sexual abuse, bribery and detainees freely moving within the charge office.
John Mukoya (37), a former detainee and taxi driver arrested for knocking down a pedestrian, described the cells as chaotic and violent, particularly for newcomers.
“When I was arrested, I wasn’t told anything. I was just thrown in. The cell boss told me I had to pay if I didn’t want to be beaten. The officers knew what was going on. They let it happen,” Mukoya claimed, adding that first-time offenders and those held for petty crimes are often the most vulnerable.
Careless officers
Kavango East police regional commander Commissioner Andreas Haingura acknowledged operational shortcomings at the Rundu Police Station but firmly denied that it is unsafe.
“Yes, Rundu Police Station holding cells are safe,” Haingura told Namibian Sun this week.
“People are painting a picture as if it’s unsafe for our children to be detained there today. But since these complaints surfaced, several measures have been implemented," he insisted.
He admitted that suspects had previously roamed the charge office unsupervised, smuggled in contraband and disrupted operations, incidents he attributed to staff negligence.
“These are people we arrested. We hold the keys. Some of these problems stem from carelessness among our members,” he said.
Overcrowding, he added, remains a significant challenge, driven by the town’s population growth and the station's outdated infrastructure.
However, steps are being taken to address the issue, he said, including transferring some detainees to other stations and prioritising bail hearings and case finalisations.
He added that with the implementation of stricter control measures, “now, no inmate or trial-awaiting prisoner is allowed to roam around."
Persistent concerns
Despite these assurances, the Office of the Ombudsman has raised concerns about the treatment of pre-trial detainees at Rundu.
Advocate Ingrid Husselmann, head of the ombudsman’s office, this week criticised the prolonged detention of suspects in police cells, calling it a systemic failure.
“We have long expressed concern over extended stays in police custody," she said.
"Legally, detainees should be brought to court within 48 hours. If further detention is necessary, they must be transferred to a correctional facility, but due to infrastructure limitations, this rarely happens,” she confirmed.
Husselmann stressed that the ombudsman's office has, for nearly two decades, advocated for the establishment of dedicated pretrial detention centres.
Isolated problem
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Michael Mulisa of the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) denied that overcrowding is an issue at NCS-run facilities.
“There is no overcrowding at the Rundu Correctional Facility," he clarified this week.
"The challenges appear to lie within the police holding cells, which fall outside our jurisdiction,” Mulisa explained.
He noted only occasional short-term congestion issues at Oluno Correctional Facility, which serves inmates from Zambezi, the two Kavango regions and four northern regions.
The deputy commissioner also highlighted that all inmates entering correctional facilities should undergo an induction and assessment before placement.
— [email protected]
According to information obtained by Namibian Sun, the teacher was arrested in April on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and placed in the police cells while awaiting his first court appearance.
There, he encountered Claus Do Santos Funete, a former learner, who was also in custody at the time.
Funete, along with another detainee, Johannes Tapalo Furai, allegedly viciously assaulted the teacher on 19 April by inserting a broomstick – reportedly covered with a condom – into his anus.
The incident is documented in police records.
Both suspects, already facing charges including robbery and housebreaking, have now also been charged with rape, assault and extortion. The extortion charge relates to alleged threats made against the teacher, demanding he pay them N$1 500, which he reportedly did.
Funete and Furai made their second court appearance in Rundu last week. Their case was postponed to 9 September for further police investigations. They were denied bail at their initial appearance on 29 April.
Unsafe and hostile
Investigations by Namibian Sun have revealed that the Rundu holding cells are plagued by reports of sexual abuse, bribery and detainees freely moving within the charge office.
John Mukoya (37), a former detainee and taxi driver arrested for knocking down a pedestrian, described the cells as chaotic and violent, particularly for newcomers.
“When I was arrested, I wasn’t told anything. I was just thrown in. The cell boss told me I had to pay if I didn’t want to be beaten. The officers knew what was going on. They let it happen,” Mukoya claimed, adding that first-time offenders and those held for petty crimes are often the most vulnerable.
Careless officers
Kavango East police regional commander Commissioner Andreas Haingura acknowledged operational shortcomings at the Rundu Police Station but firmly denied that it is unsafe.
“Yes, Rundu Police Station holding cells are safe,” Haingura told Namibian Sun this week.
“People are painting a picture as if it’s unsafe for our children to be detained there today. But since these complaints surfaced, several measures have been implemented," he insisted.
He admitted that suspects had previously roamed the charge office unsupervised, smuggled in contraband and disrupted operations, incidents he attributed to staff negligence.
“These are people we arrested. We hold the keys. Some of these problems stem from carelessness among our members,” he said.
Overcrowding, he added, remains a significant challenge, driven by the town’s population growth and the station's outdated infrastructure.
However, steps are being taken to address the issue, he said, including transferring some detainees to other stations and prioritising bail hearings and case finalisations.
He added that with the implementation of stricter control measures, “now, no inmate or trial-awaiting prisoner is allowed to roam around."
Persistent concerns
Despite these assurances, the Office of the Ombudsman has raised concerns about the treatment of pre-trial detainees at Rundu.
Advocate Ingrid Husselmann, head of the ombudsman’s office, this week criticised the prolonged detention of suspects in police cells, calling it a systemic failure.
“We have long expressed concern over extended stays in police custody," she said.
"Legally, detainees should be brought to court within 48 hours. If further detention is necessary, they must be transferred to a correctional facility, but due to infrastructure limitations, this rarely happens,” she confirmed.
Husselmann stressed that the ombudsman's office has, for nearly two decades, advocated for the establishment of dedicated pretrial detention centres.
Isolated problem
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Michael Mulisa of the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) denied that overcrowding is an issue at NCS-run facilities.
“There is no overcrowding at the Rundu Correctional Facility," he clarified this week.
"The challenges appear to lie within the police holding cells, which fall outside our jurisdiction,” Mulisa explained.
He noted only occasional short-term congestion issues at Oluno Correctional Facility, which serves inmates from Zambezi, the two Kavango regions and four northern regions.
The deputy commissioner also highlighted that all inmates entering correctional facilities should undergo an induction and assessment before placement.
— [email protected]
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