DPP calls for law to protect sexual offence witnesses
The State minister for Gender, Ms Peace Mutuuzo (Right), shares a light moment with Ms Antonia N’gabala-Sodonon, the coordinator of the African Union gender, peace and security programme, in Wakiso District. Centre is the Director of Public Prosecutions Justice Mike Chibita. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
Kampala- The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Justice Mike Chibita, has asked government to urgently pass a law for protection of witnesses in sexual and gender-based violence cases.
Justice Chibita said most victims of sexual violence fear to testify against their perpetrators, especially in court where their identity is not concealed, which puts their life in danger.
“Under our adversarial system of litigation, the victim of sexual and gender-based violence is not shielded from the public or her attacker...,” he said yesterday.
Justice Chibita was speaking at a symposium on access to justice and fighting impunity of sexual violence in the Great Lakes region member states in Kigo, Wakiso District.
Justice Chibita added: “Whether or not a trial is heard in camera depends on the good will of the judge handling the matter or how persuasive prosecution is but it should be made a mandatory requirement in cases of sexual violence for trials to be held in camera. We urgently need to pass the law on witness protection, complete with the requisite infrastructure.”
The chief government prosecutor also accused defence lawyers of making the victims more fearful due to the embarrassing questions that they ask them during cross-examination in court.
Sexual gender based violence crimes include rape, defilement, elopement, and trafficking in persons.
Justice Chibita also said victims face stigma, adding that many fear reporting their perpetrators on grounds that society will think ‘bad’ about them for being immoral or provocative.
Speaking at the same symposium, the State Minister of Gender, Ms Peace Mutuuzo, pledged that the line ministry was working on a law on sexual gender-based violence, adding that her senior counterpart, Ms Janat Mukwaya was in Parliament presenting the same.
At the same conference, the director of the UN team of experts on the rule of law and sexual violence in conflict, Mr Innocent Zahinda, faulted the armed forces for being the main perpetrators of sexual violence crimes across the Great Lakes region.
Mr Zahinda said there should be measures such as signing of undertakings, revision of codes of conduct, and command orders against the armed forces to curb the vice.
