Abim locals accuse police of raping suspects in cells
The resident says the police arrested his wife and mother of three children, plus other women over assault and detained them for three months at Abim Town Council police post where they raped them. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- "Different policemen picked us; the three ladies in the police cells that night and took us to different directions. I didn’t know the motive of the officer, so I found myself at his house romancing me and promising to set me free. Right now, my husband has rejected me and I’m living with friends,” victim who conceived in cells
Abim. Residents of Abim District have asked the police authorities to arrest officers they say are raping and defiling female suspects in cells. The residents, who spoke to Daily Monitor last weekend, said they will stage protests should the police fail to take action against the errant officers.
Mr John Okidi, a resident of Abim Town Council, says police officers in the district have now turned into perpetrators of crime contrary to their constitutional mandate to protect the public and keep law and order. Abim District lies in hard-to-reach Karamoja Sub-region in north eastern Uganda.
“Many women arrested for different crimes have been raped while others have conceived while being held in police cells,” he said.
Ms Grace Acheng, another resident, said the errant officers have broken up many families by grabbing peoples wives as well as impregnating their children.
Mr Hashaka Mpimbaza, the Abim resident district commissioner, confirmed having received several complaints from the locals, including one about a police officer impregnating a teenage girl, who has since been sent away from Alerek Senior Secondary School. Mr Hashaka says he has directed for investigations into the matter.
“I have got many complaints from the public against the police, especially those at Abim Town Council police post, and we are investigating. Those found guilty will face the law,” he said.
A resident, who claims his wife was impregnated by one of the police officers while in the cells, said he has now secured the services of lawyer to sue the Force.
The resident says the police arrested his wife and mother of three children, plus other women over assault and detained them for three months at Abim Town Council police post where they raped them.
“I will not accept to own a child who is not from our clan, these police men here should face the law,” he said.
The victim’s father described the officers misconduct as a big shame to the Uganda Police Force.
“How can a whole police officer rape a woman and impregnate her in the cells? That is an embarrassment to me because my daughter had only one husband,” he said.
The woman, who conceived while detained in the cells, told this newspaper that she was picked by a police officer (name withheld) at night and taken to his house with a promise to set her free.
Our efforts to get a comment from the police officer by press time were futile as his known phone was inaccessible.
But Mr Robert Katuramu, the district police commander, said he was not aware of the alleged police misconduct since he is new in the district. He promised to investigate the allegations.
