Iuze Mukube
Acting Inspector General Anne-Marie Nainda has cautioned media houses against publishing premature information involving sensitive details, particularly information that has not been officially released by the police.
Speaking yesterday during a press conference at which she disclosed new developments in the 2025 Okahandja serial killings, Nainda said such premature disclosures could raise safety concerns and renew public anxiety.
Nainda cautioned that revealing information such as the suspect’s place of residence, before the police have formally communicated such developments in the case, is a dangerous game that could arise in civil claims.
Nainda made the statements while revealing that a suspect (18) has been formally charged in connection with the deaths of Ingrid Maasdorp (5) and Roswind Fabianu (7).
The two girls were reported missing last year between March and April in Okahandja, days before their bodies were found battered and allegedly sexually assaulted.
She stated that the police had taken a different approach, possibly in apprehending the suspect, but that before an official report was issued, information about the matter was leaked.
“Members of the public were calling me, very worried, and that is why I am appealing to our conscious as the media,” she said.
She stated that an article in a local newspaper went so far as to describe where the suspect was living.
“In my view, this is a very dangerous game we are playing.”
She stated that the media should have given the police the opportunity to list the official report, to avoid such situations.
She stated that the community of Okahandja were up in arms questioning since when police are releasing information indicating where the suspect and the victims alike were staying.
Nainda added that that is a new security concern that the report has generated and which police are now currently dealing with.
“I am really appealing to the media due to the sensitivity of these reports. You must wait for verified formal reports. It can also lead to civil claims.”
Nainda distanced herself from that report as it was not through the police.
She stated that such unverified information particularly of where the suspect was staying has led to a new paranoia in Okahandja.
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