Don’t normalize crime

Yesterday in our story titled, “How Bugweri parents normalize defilement, ignore justice”, we highlighted how some parents and guardians are increasingly opting for money and other gifts and bribes as a way of settling the cases out of court. 

For some, this is some sort of source of income while others do it because they are frustrated by what they feel is a long and difficult justice process and others are too embarrassed by the details of the case to stand up publicly and demand justice. Others don’t even as much as point a finger at the perpetrators, they simply look the other way and carry on with life. It’s a sad state of society.

The chairperson of all local council chairpersons in Bugweri District, Mr Yusuf Sonko, says most parents in Bunyanga Sub-county are ignoring seeking justice for their defiled girls after reportedly trying and failing , a trend he says has left many of them resigned to fate and being in comfort Zones.

“You know, parents are getting used to such cases [defilement] that is why it is not easy for us [leaders] to trace problematic young girls. However, parents must know that there are tough laws against such cases,”he said.

In the  news was also another disturbing defilement story of  a 13-year-old primary five pupil in Kamuli District who was defiled by a 43-year-old businessman dealing in charcoal. The crime was aided by the fact that the victim’s mother had bought her a phone which the defiler used to ease communication, seduce the young girl and take advantage of her. Thankfully, the mother in this case did right by her daughter by reporting the case to police and having the man apprehended.

Unfortunately, this is not the first nor will it be the last  story of defilement that we will hear. The statistics are worrying.

The latest police crime report revealed that a total of 13,144 juveniles were defiled in 2023, of whom 383 were defiled by persons living with HIV/Aids.

Out of the total victims, 12,818 were females while 326 were males. At least 97 of these were defiled by parents, 90 by guardians and 211 were defiled by their teachers. Defilement victims with disabilities were 131.

Be it as it may, we must fight for justice for the victims and at the same time do our best to protect our children from such crime. Make it easy for parents  and children to report these crimes. Parents who cooperate with defilers to try and sweep the crime under the carpet must also  face the long hand of the law.  Crime must not be normalised. Most importantly, do all that is humanly and legally possible to guard minors within our circles of influence from such evil. 

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