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Defilement cases traded in Bukedea
What you need to know:
- Prosecutor. “I don’t interfere with these cases. What happens at the lower levels of policing, I am not reliable but every file that comes to my docket, I give a legal advice to enable prosecution take place,” Mr Henry Yoga, district state prosecutor
Although defilement is a capital offence, the crime in Bukedea District continues to cause endless suffering to victims.
It is reported that with the aid of police, local councils negotiate with the victims’ parents for as low as Shs500,000 to let the suspects go scot-free.
For instance on April 5, a police officer at Kidongole Police Post allegedly convened a meeting with one of the victim’s parents to mediate with the defiler.
The April 5 agreement seen by this newspaper was duly signed by the victim’s father in which he promised to drop the case.
The agreement also involved giving the police officer Shs100,000 for organising the meeting.
The officer reportedly released the suspect on police bond two days later. The suspect has since gone into hiding.
The victim’s mother said she was coerced to approve the agreement by her husband. She claimed her husband viewed the money as an incentive to clear a family debt of Shs300,000.
“There was nothing I could do, the police had given us a blessing for the mediation,” the woman said.
Mr Mohammed Otai, a resident, who informed the district civil society forum about the matter, claimed he was instead arrested.
“The police officer who frustrated the case detained me, accusing me of malice against the police fraternity of Kidongole Police Post,” Mr Otai said.
“My only rescue came on April 8 when civil society activists secured my release,” he added.
Mr Edika Akangkwasha, the district police commander, said the police officer was arrested and will face disciplinary action.
“We are doing all it takes to bring the culprits to book, prevent further cases of defilement,” Mr Akangkwasha said.
However, Daily Monitor has learnt that the officer has since been released.
Mr Santos Osekenye, the chairperson of Bukedea Civil Society Forum, said since 2019, more than 970 cases of defilement have been mismanaged in Kidongole.
He attributed the failure to corrupt police, and poverty among the victims’ parents.
“The parents trade their defiled girls for money, that is the problem,” Mr Osekenye said.
He, however, said some of the defiled girls are being rehabilitated at Kidongole Community Development Centre (KCDC).
“These children once defiled, impregnated, are left to a state of destitution,” Mr Osekenye said.
Parents blamed
Mr Samuel Okurut, the sub-county chairperson, attributed the situation to irresponsible parenting .
“We have parents who have left children to the mercy of nature, so such children are easily preyed on. It is that pathetic, others settle for a goat to kill the case,” Mr Okurut said.
One of the victims, who is under KCDC’s care, said her baby’s father remains on the run.
“When I fall sick with my baby, they (KCDC) help, they feed us, take us through tailoring courses. I would be in Senior Three now, but all that crashed,” she said.
Ms Magdalene Acom, the officer-in charge of maternity ward at Kidongole Health Centre III, said they attend to teenage expectant mothers on Monday and Tuesday .
Ms Acom said when these teenagers enter labour, they often transfer them to district hospitals because they are too young to deliver naturally. Even then, we come across attacks from society who don’t want their children to be transferred,” she said.
The district state prosecutor, Mr Henry Yoga, acknowledged that hundreds of defilement cases do not progress from the police level because some officers have turned to be arbitrators and mediators in defilement cases arising from villages.
He denied allegations of frustrating the cases.
“How do I ‘kill’ case, whose files have never reached my desk, is there any sense in those accusations? I don’t interfere with these cases. What happens at the lower levels of policing, I am not reliable but every file that comes to my docket, I give a legal advice to enable prosecution take place,” Mr Yoga said.
The state prosecutor said defilement remains a bigger threat to the survival of the girl child, adding that on Wednesday last week, he had more than 20 files coming up for plea.
“Since 2017, I have a bulk of more than 3,000 cases awaiting trial,” he said.
Mr Yoga said majority of complainants never turn up.
