Tanzanians Furious Over Widely Shared Gang Rape Footage

After a video allegedly depicting a gang rape went viral and caused great indignation, Tanzanian authorities opened an inquiry. Arrests have reportedly already been made, according to the local media.

On Sunday, the unsettling video of a young woman being beaten by several men went viral. Human rights groups have been urging the government to act quickly.

The police acknowledged in a statement that their investigation is “progressing well,” but they made no mention of any arrests. They asked everyone to maintain their composure and gave the public the assurance that more specific information will be made available after the legal procedure is over.

In order to safeguard the victim and her family from more harm, authorities have also asked the public to exercise caution while sharing content online.

Home Affairs Minister Hamad Masauni reportedly stated that certain individuals had been taken into custody, but he did not elaborate.

The incident was originally made public on August 4th, by Boniface Jacob, the former mayor of Dar es Salaam’s Ubungo district, through a post on the social media platform X. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, Jacob said that the attack happened in a different part of Dar es Salaam and suggested that the attackers might have ties to the Tanzanian military.