Human trafficking: Government urged to train more detectives
KAMPALA. Judicial officers have appealed to government to train crime detectives so that they can carry out effective investigations particularly in regard to human trafficking cases that have become rampant of late.
The judicial officers blame detectives for failing to conduct proper investigations resulting in dismissal of criminal cases including those involving human trafficking.
The call by the judicial officers to government was among the key recommendations made during their follow up meeting with officials of Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA) on how to effectively combat human trafficking.
“As much as you have these pro-active judicial officers who embraced the judicial activism, who really feel the pain of a woman and the victims, they have nothing much to do if these cases are not well investigated. So there is need to train the investigators if we are to secure more convictions,” Ms Carol Kabugho, one of the magistrates said.
Ms Kabugho further in her remarks, said that in spite of the Prevention of Trafficking in person Act 2009, there are many people who are still trafficked to outside countries in the names of looking for greener pastures.
Ms Racheal Nakyazze, another judicial officer, voiced similar concern before calling upon FIDA to sensitise people about human trafficking especially when they fall victim.
“We have a challenge as magistrates, these cases do not come in as necessarily as human trafficking cases but as small claims against persons who got money from them as transport,” Ms Nakyazze said.
At the same meeting, Ms Annet Kirabira, the executive director of Rahab Uganda, an organisation that reports cases of human trafficking, lamented about some officers who mislead victims of trafficking and decline to help them.
When contacted, the police spokesperson, Mr Emilian Kayima said the criminal justice system has many demands on the part of prosecution and that there are many factors that contribute to a case to fail in court.
“There are many factors that make cases fail in court like poor investigations could be one of them. There are many others like the standard of proof being beyond reasonable doubt yet doubt is often created as there are many players including witnesses who give up because of what they perceive as delay,” Mr Kayima said by telephone
According to Mr Moses Binoga, the Coordinator, Counter Human Trafficking National Task Force, they have continued to register high levels of number of cases in the country with over 400 being registered as they headed to the Middle East countries.
Some are intercepted as they head to various areas including Entebbe Airport, Busia, Malaba and Rwakata.
He adds that over 100 have been intercepted at Jomo-Kenyatta Airport this year with forged immigration stamps of both Uganda and Kenya and some with no stamps completely.
