Police violence in Mitakataka : a woman seriously injured and hospitalized

SOS Médias Burundi

Bubanza, August 20, 2025 – In Bubanza district, Bujumbura province in western Burundi, outrage is widespread. On August 8, a woman was violently assaulted by a police officer on duty at the Higher Institute of Police (ISP). Wrongly accused of witchcraft, she has since been hospitalized, while the officer, suspected of acting while intoxicated, received no punishment, sparking anger and revolt among residents.

A brutal attack

According to witnesses, the police officer severely beat the victim with a stick, causing serious injuries. The brutality of the act sparked an immediate revolt among local residents, some of whom attempted to lynch the officer. He only escaped public outrage thanks to the forceful intervention of his colleagues who came to provide reinforcements.

A police officer protected by his peers

For the population, the unacceptable goes beyond the violence of the attack : despite calls for justice, the perpetrator continues to move freely.

“He is protected by his colleagues, even though he almost killed an innocent woman,” laments a local elder.

A local administration official confirmed the incident to SOS Médias Burundi, highlighting the lack of punishment to date. This impunity fuels a feeling of abandonment among local residents, who believe that law enforcement is covering for each other at the expense of citizens.

The population demands exemplary measures

Faced with what they describe as “criminal behavior,” residents are calling for legal action against the police officer and guarantees to prevent such abuses from happening again.

“Police officers are supposed to protect citizens, not to attack them.” “We want justice to be done,” insists a member of the community.

To date, no official reaction from the police has been recorded. In Mitakataka, anger remains undiminished, fueled by the feeling that the law does not always apply to those who should embody it.