New details emerge in Al-Diwaniyah detainee sexual assault case

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Al-Diwaniyah

An investigating officer holding the rank of captain, a policeman, and another security officer allegedly removed a female detainee from her cell at Al-Nahda Police Station in Iraq’s Al-Diwaniyah province late at night, took her to the officers’ sleeping quarters, and sexually assaulted her before returning her to detention, a provincial security official revealed on Saturday.

Khodair Sharif Al-Miyahi, head of the Security Committee in the Al-Diwaniyah Provincial Council, said the assault took place on July 23 but the station commander delayed the official report and legal procedures until July 28. He confirmed that the investigating officer and three security personnel were in custody pending criminal and administrative proceedings, and that the police command had introduced measures to prevent similar incidents.

Iraq’s High Commission for Human Rights dispatched a field team to monitor the case, affirming that its preliminary findings matched the allegations. In a statement, the commission reported that the detainee, identified by the initials (D.G.J.), was assaulted by the investigating officer, identified as (H.B.M.), and three security personnel who exploited the absence of other officers on duty.

The commission added that its team met the woman to assess her physical and psychological condition and document her testimony. The case, it stressed, remains subject to public prosecution even if the victim withdraws or chooses not to file a personal complaint, calling the alleged assault a serious breach of professional and ethical standards within the security services.