Trigger warning: this article refers to gender-based and sexual violence, including against a minor. Reading it may be distressing for some people.
In January 2025, a 20-year-old woman claimed to have been raped by a police officer whilst she was in police custody at a police station in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. Medical examinations carried out after her release confirmed her allegations, and the police officer in question was arrested.
A few months later, in September 2025, a 12-year-old girl was also raped on the premises of the criminal investigation department in Moursal, whilst she was being held following a complaint.
In Chad, women and girls held in police custody are subjected to sexual abuse, physical and psychological violence, against a general backdrop of impunity and a lack of reliable complaint mechanisms.
The Association for Women’s Empowerment (APEF) works across social, economic and legal spheres and, with the support of Féministes en Action, is committed to combating gender-based violence (GBV) in police stations.
A context of inequality that subjects women to a double punishment
Chadian law, however, strictly regulates police custody: in theory, a woman or girl placed in police custody is protected. In practice, she is not. The facilities are largely unsuitable for the needs of women and girls: there are not enough cells reserved for women, there are no separate and secure toilets, and there is a shortage of female staff. Access to drinking water, menstrual hygiene products and healthcare is inadequate.
“I was arrested and taken into police custody at the police station. As I did not admit to the offences I was accused of, I asked to be heard. The criminal investigation officers did not listen to me and chose instead to lock me in the men’s cell. It was only after the other detainees protested that I was released.”
Testimony collected by the APEF network
APEF combats the legal, institutional and social inequalities that undermine the rights of women and girls, and seeks to bring about lasting change in laws, public policies, institutional practices and social norms.
Advocacy as a tool for change
In order to bring about lasting change, APEF carries out advocacy and awareness-raising work with the authorities responsible for ensuring public safety.
With the judicial and police authorities, the network advocates for strict adherence to the legal time limits for police custody and the effective enforcement of legislation protecting women against violence and degrading treatment, as well as for the introduction of accessible reporting mechanisms and strengthened monitoring in places of detention.
Regarding the police force itself, APEF calls for more female staff in police stations and units, regular training for Criminal Investigation Officers on human rights and a gender-sensitive approach, and the systematic punishment of any act of violence committed in these places of detention.
APEF’s advocacy with administrative and local authorities focuses on the provision of separate, secure cells; the improvement of sanitary facilities; the provision of essential hygiene products; and better care for pregnant women and underage girls.
A legal clinic to address legislative gaps
APEF’s work also extends to the legal sphere. To provide concrete and tailored responses to the lack of protection for detained women and girls, the organisation has set up a legal clinic, open to any woman who is a survivor of gender-based violence. This clinic offers support centred on active listening, guidance and psychosocial support, with referrals to additional services where necessary.
Partner lawyers oversee every case entrusted to them from start to finish. They ensure that police custody time limits are respected and that the right to a fair trial is upheld for women and girls who are victims. The APEF clinic offers a range of services designed to protect victims, ensure their rights are upheld and enable them to obtain justice, all free of charge.
When the very places that are supposed to uphold the law and justice become, in practice, sites of violence, there is an urgent need to strengthen the mechanisms for protecting women and girls in the care of the state. The incidents reported by APEF are far from being mere statistics; they constitute serious violations of human dignity.