Women Lawyers Association (WLA) says it is waiting for a High Court ruling on the assessment of compensation for victims of alleged rape by police officers around Msundwe area in Lilongwe.

In August this year, High Court Judge Kenyatta Nyirenda ordered government to compensate the victims and further ordered that assessment for the compensation should be done within 21 days by the High Court Registrar.

Spokesperson for the association Mphatso Iphani told YFM in an interview that hearing of the assessment had already been done but the date for the ruling is yet to be communicated by the court.

Iphani assured the victims that the matter will be sorted in due course.

“Now we are waiting for court’s judgement for assessment of compensation that still hasn’t come out yet but we went for assessment hearing,” she said.

High Court Registrar, Gladys Gondwe said the court has been working on reports filed by legal experts to inform the decision on the assessment.

Gondwe said the date for the ruling will be communicated soon.

“All the reports are now in and the High Court is considering its decision and any time soon the court will indicate when it will deliver the ruling on the assessment,” she said.

Investigations by the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) revealed that police officers raped 13 women, defiled one girl and sexually assaulted three under-18 girls in an October 8, 2018 operation around Msundwe area in Lilongwe.

The police officers allegedly raped the women and girls in retaliation for the stoning to death of police superintendent Usumani Imedi during an operation to bring order in and around Msundwe.