Police in Angola have threatened legal action against local media after the case of a senior police officer charged with rape was made public.
Jose Tiaba da Costa, sub-inspector of Benguela province's transport police, has been in custody since last week.
The police said the reporting of the alleged rape of a 21-year-old woman by a policeman had damaged their image.
"This is a common crime and the fact he's a policeman is not relevant," an interior ministry official said.
Branco Lima, head of the legal affairs in Benguela's interior ministry which is responsible for the police, made the warning to Catholic radio station Radio Eccleisa.
"He was off-duty when the alleged offence occured," Mr Lima said.
The BBC's Louise Redvers in the capital, Luanda, says the threat of legal action has surprised many in the media as details of the case were passed on by Angola's state news agency.
The story was widely reported after the policeman handed himself in last Wednesday.
He had been on the run since the alleged rape occured on 19 April. A warrant for his arrest was made after the parents of the 21-year-old filed a complaint.
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