Inside Makerere sex probe report
An ad hoc committee investigating sexual abuse at Makerere University has recommended that staff should declare when they fall in love with students or colleagues they supervise. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Prof Tamale, a Law professor, said there was no scientific evidence the way female students dressed was the cause of sexual advances by lectures and “we shall not put any regulations to dressing, because there are other causes”.
Kampala. An ad hoc committee investigating sexual abuse at Makerere University has recommended that staff should declare when they fall in love with students or colleagues they supervise.
Chaired by Prof Sylvia Tamale, the team also called for “effective mentoring relationships” for faculty, staff and students.
The vice, according to an interim report released on Friday, is more widespread than is officially acknowledged.
Eighty per cent of 234 people interviewed by the committee said they were aware of the sexual exploitation, including sex-for-marks that benefit both lecturers and students. In other cases, respondents told the team, female students are coerced by male lecturers on the pretext that the students dress indecently.
According to the report, a male lecturer, whose name was withheld to aid a smooth running of ongoing investigations, said: “Women loitering around with their open thighs is not okay… these are devils, little temptresses who harass innocent, defenseless lecturers…”
Some of the respondents proposed that the university enforces strict dress codes for students while on campus.
Prof Tamale, a Law professor, said there was no scientific evidence the way female students dressed was the cause of sexual advances by lectures and “we shall not put any regulations to dressing, because there are other causes”.
