By Patricia Chinyoka, Women of Zimbabwe and FiLiA Zimbabwe representative.

We have learned with shock of the release on Presidential amnesty of convicted child rapists. It is also known that the Zimbabwe Prison authorities had said rape was among offences excluded from the amnesty.

Viral videos have been circulating that show local media reporting the rapists celebrating their freedom, including some who are said to have served less than a year of their prison term.

It is utterly reprehensible to release dangerous, unrehabilitated offenders back into society without even informing or preparing the rape victims. These children and women are living in fear, and to learn through the media of these releases is traumatising for them and their families and wider communities. In Zimbabwe, a woman is raped every hour, and one in three women has faced sexual violence.

The release of these violent rapists shines a light on how the protection and safety of women is not a priority for the Zimbabwean authorities. Women are seen as objects of male sexual pleasure and men’s general well-being in Zimbabwe. Prioritising the well-being and safety of the victims should have been a key consideration when making the decision whether to release these men back into the community. Instead, it is the criminals who are rewarded with release.

Zimbabwean authorities must protect vulnerable children and women from ongoing human rights violations, including rape.

We ask the Zimbabwean authorities to review this Presidential amnesty and send the rapists back to prison where they belong.