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Woman, 70, on the run over practicing FGM on 17-year-old girl
Some of the Male Champions in the fight against FGM having a dialogue in Kongorok sub-county, Amudat District on July 26, 2024. Photo | Sylivia Katushabe
What you need to know:
- The suspect was arrested on July 18 but escaped from hospital where she had been taken for treatment due to her ill health.
The police in Amudat District are investigating a case of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) involving a 70-year-old woman, Chepokatekok Nakong, who is accused of cutting a 17-year-old girl.
The suspect was arrested on July 18 but escaped from hospital where she had been taken for treatment due to her ill health.
"The suspect was taken to hospital for treatment, but she escaped. We are still searching for her," said Assistant Superintendent of Police Daniel Odongo, the Amudat District head of Criminal Investigations, on Sunday.
The suspect, a resident of Naguliet village, Kongorok parish, Kongorok sub-county, is alleged to have committed the offence on July 17.
Mr Odongo said that the two police officers who were guarding her in the hospital will be charged with neglect of duty and efforts to have her re- arrested are still ongoing to ensure she is produced in court.
FGM is a harmful cultural practice that involves partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice was made illegal in Uganda in 2010, with those convicted facing life imprisonment.
Despite efforts to end FGM, cases still exist in some sub-counties in Amudat district. However, with support from partners like Action Aid international Uganda and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the district has been able to conduct community sensitization, dialogues, and community policing in areas where harmful cultural practices are prevalent.
"Partners like Action Aid have facilitated us in arresting and transporting perpetrators to courts of law," said Michael Longok, the Amudat District Community Development Officer.
FGM surveillance teams have been established, and female and male action groups have been set up in areas where the practice is prevalent. These groups have played a crucial role in ending FGM in communities through sensitisation and reporting incidents to authorities.
However, delayed justice remains a challenge, with perpetrators often fleeing to Kenya, making it hard to trace them. Despite this, community action groups are urged to continue fighting FGM within their communities.
